diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py
index 01bcc57e15f..738d8b73d75 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
                 'complex' if '+complex' in spec else 'real'),
             '--with-shared-libraries=%s' % ('1' if '+shared' in spec else '0'),
             '--with-debugging=%s' % ('1' if '+debug' in spec else '0'),
+            '--with-openmp=%s' % ('1' if '+openmp' in spec else '0'),
             '--with-64-bit-indices=%s' % ('1' if '+int64' in spec else '0')
         ])
         if '+debug' not in spec:
@@ -421,7 +422,6 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
                 ('netcdf-c', 'netcdf', True, True),
                 ('parallel-netcdf', 'pnetcdf', True, True),
                 ('moab', 'moab', False, False),
-                'openmp',
                 ('random123', 'random123', False, False),
                 'exodusii',
                 'cgns',