diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc/package.py
index 8972fc46ced..3e5e474c4e6 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc/package.py
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ def setup_run_environment(self, env):
         if self.spec.satisfies("languages=c"):
             env.set("CC", self.cc)
 
-        if self.spec.satisfies("languages=cxx"):
+        if self.spec.satisfies("languages=c++"):
             env.set("CXX", self.cxx)
 
         if self.spec.satisfies("languages=fortran"):