diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-c/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-c/package.py
index fcde80a296b..ee68003a9ba 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-c/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netcdf-c/package.py
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ class NetcdfC(CMakePackage, AutotoolsPackage):
     # later is required for netCDF-4 compression. However, zlib became a direct dependency only
     # starting NetCDF 4.9.0 (for the deflate plugin):
     depends_on("zlib-api", when="@4.9.0:+shared")
-    depends_on("zlib@1.2.5:", when="^zlib")
+    depends_on("zlib@1.2.5:", when="^[virtuals=zlib-api] zlib")
 
     # Use the vendored bzip2 on Windows:
     for __p in ["darwin", "cray", "linux"]: