diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/portage/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/portage/package.py
index 097ec9aab1c..95c881ae6c1 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/portage/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/portage/package.py
@@ -60,6 +60,6 @@ def cmake_args(self):
                        self.spec['lapack'].libs.joined())
 
         options.append("-DLAPACKE_LIBRARY=" +
-                       self.spec["lapack"].libs.joined(";"))
+                       self.spec["lapack:c"].libs.joined(";"))
 
         return options