diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py
index 3652d960673..72983681c06 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py
@@ -420,13 +420,15 @@ def test_load_json_specfiles(specfile, expected_hash, reader_cls):
     openmpi_edges = s2.edges_to_dependencies(name="openmpi")
     assert len(openmpi_edges) == 1
 
-    # Check that virtuals have been reconstructed
-    assert "mpi" in openmpi_edges[0].virtuals
+    # Check that virtuals have been reconstructed for specfiles conforming to
+    # version 4 on.
+    if reader_cls.SPEC_VERSION >= spack.spec.SpecfileV4.SPEC_VERSION:
+        assert "mpi" in openmpi_edges[0].virtuals
 
-    # The virtuals attribute must be a tuple, when read from a
-    # JSON or YAML file, not a list
-    for edge in s2.traverse_edges():
-        assert isinstance(edge.virtuals, tuple), edge
+        # The virtuals attribute must be a tuple, when read from a
+        # JSON or YAML file, not a list
+        for edge in s2.traverse_edges():
+            assert isinstance(edge.virtuals, tuple), edge
 
     # Ensure we can format {compiler} tokens
     assert s2.format("{compiler}") != "none"