diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
index c3ac7713df5..c6d86126e94 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
             elif name == "cxxflags":
                 flags.append(self.compiler.cxx_pic_flag)
             elif name == "fflags":
-                flags.append(elf.compiler.fc_pic_flag)
+                flags.append(self.compiler.fc_pic_flag)
 
         # Quiet warnings/errors about implicit declaration of functions in C99
         if name == "cflags":