diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py
index 430f0ce21f7..de72eb336c9 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ def cmake_args(self):
         elif target >= llnl.util.cpu.targets['bulldozer']:
             # AMD Family 15h
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=AVX_128_FMA')
-        elif target >= llnl.util.cpu.targets['power7']:
+        elif 'vsx' in target:
             # IBM Power 7 and beyond
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=IBM_VSX')
         elif target.family == llnl.util.cpu.targets['aarch64']: