diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-cxx4/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-cxx4/package.py
index 1b308d6adac..4b586d9a149 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-cxx4/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-cxx4/package.py
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ class NetcdfCxx4(AutotoolsPackage):
 
     force_autoreconf = True
 
+    def configure_args(self):
+        return ['CPPFLAGS=-I' + self.spec['netcdf'].prefix.include]
+
     @property
     def libs(self):
         shared = True
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-fortran/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-fortran/package.py
index 818115b1876..a923bb0e81f 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-fortran/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-fortran/package.py
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ class NetcdfFortran(AutotoolsPackage):
 
     depends_on('netcdf')
 
+    def configure_args(self):
+        return ['CPPFLAGS=-I' + self.spec['netcdf'].prefix.include]
+
     @property
     def libs(self):
         libraries = ['libnetcdff']