diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-runtime/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-runtime/package.py
index b1604ee8ab7..81bbd2877ea 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-runtime/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-runtime/package.py
@@ -151,10 +151,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
         extra_args.append("--with-jobid-env=%s" % job_id)
         extra_args.append("--with-zlib=%s" % spec["zlib-api"].prefix)
 
-        if spec.satisfies("+mpi"):
-            extra_args.append("CC=%s" % self.spec["mpi"].mpicc)
-        else:
-            extra_args.append("CC=%s" % self.compiler.cc)
+        if "+mpi" not in spec:
             extra_args.append("--without-mpi")
 
         return extra_args
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-util/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-util/package.py
index ca4acb8fb93..8cbe414d76a 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-util/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/darshan-util/package.py
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ def configure_args(self):
         spec = self.spec
         extra_args = []
 
-        extra_args.append("CC=%s" % self.compiler.cc)
         extra_args.append("--with-zlib=%s" % spec["zlib-api"].prefix)
         if spec.satisfies("+apmpi"):
             if self.version < Version("3.3.2"):