diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/python.py b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/python.py
index c3bf323d84c..fd772acfbbe 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/python.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/python.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def import_modules(self):
         modules = []
         root = os.path.join(
             self.prefix,
-            self.spec['python'].package.config_vars['python_lib']['false']['false'],
+            self.spec['python'].package.config_vars['python_lib']['true']['false'],
         )
 
         # Some Python libraries are packages: collections of modules
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/sip.py b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/sip.py
index 1b9d01fbf48..d40be9d3c9d 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/sip.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/sip.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def import_modules(self):
         modules = []
         root = os.path.join(
             self.prefix,
-            self.spec['python'].package.config_vars['python_lib']['false']['false'],
+            self.spec['python'].package.config_vars['python_lib']['true']['false'],
         )
 
         # Some Python libraries are packages: collections of modules
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
index 994578cffb7..e1e504bb601 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ def site_packages_dir(self):
             str: site-packages directory
         """
         try:
-            return self.config_vars['python_lib']['false']['false']
+            return self.config_vars['python_lib']['true']['false']
         except KeyError:
             return self.default_site_packages_dir