diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libpfm4/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libpfm4/package.py
index 7de4649dd3f..c7463afeeb8 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libpfm4/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libpfm4/package.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Libpfm4(MakefilePackage):
     version('4.8.0', '730383896db92e12fb2cc10f2d41dd43')
 
     # Fails to build libpfm4 with intel compiler version 16 and 17
-    conflicts('intel@16:17')
+    conflicts('%intel@16:17')
 
     @property
     def install_targets(self):