diff --git a/lib/spack/llnl/util/multiproc.py b/lib/spack/llnl/util/multiproc.py
index dc778b6f76e..04f1373aaf0 100644
--- a/lib/spack/llnl/util/multiproc.py
+++ b/lib/spack/llnl/util/multiproc.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 __all__ = ['Barrier']
 
 
-def deferred(func):
+def defer(func):
     """Package a function call into something that can be invoked
     at a later moment.
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py b/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py
index 43f807cb14c..9e0fcb69a47 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compiler.py
@@ -302,7 +302,8 @@ def search_compiler_commands(cls, operating_system, *search_paths):
                          _NameVariation(*match.groups()), language)
                     )
                     commands.append(
-                        detect_version_command(callback, full_path)
+                        llnl.util.multiproc.defer(detect_version)
+                        (callback, full_path)
                     )
 
         # Reverse it here so that the dict creation (last insert wins)
@@ -351,8 +352,7 @@ def __hash__(self):
 _NameVariation = collections.namedtuple('_NameVariation', ['prefix', 'suffix'])
 
 
-@llnl.util.multiproc.deferred
-def detect_version_command(callback, path):
+def detect_version(callback, path):
     """Detects the version of a compiler at a given path.
 
     Args:
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers.py
index 2d3d497f248..ae39382de82 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 import spack.compilers.xl_r
 import spack.compilers.fj
 
-from spack.compiler import detect_version_command, Compiler
+from spack.compiler import detect_version, Compiler
 
 
 def test_get_compiler_duplicates(config):
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ def test_all_compilers(config):
 
 
 def test_version_detection_is_empty():
-    command = detect_version_command(lambda x: None, path='/usr/bin/gcc')
+    version = detect_version(lambda x: None, path='/usr/bin/gcc')
     expected = (None,  "Couldn't get version for compiler /usr/bin/gcc")
-    assert command() == expected
+    assert version == expected
 
 
 def test_version_detection_is_successful():
-    command = detect_version_command(lambda x: '4.9', path='/usr/bin/gcc')
-    assert command() == (('4.9', '/usr/bin/gcc'), None)
+    version = detect_version(lambda x: '4.9', path='/usr/bin/gcc')
+    assert version == (('4.9', '/usr/bin/gcc'), None)
 
 
 def test_compiler_flags_from_config_are_grouped():