diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/ci/__init__.py b/lib/spack/spack/ci/__init__.py
index c084989ab01..c796a79a18d 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/ci/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/ci/__init__.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import spack
 import spack.binary_distribution as bindist
 import spack.builder
-import spack.concretize
 import spack.config as cfg
 import spack.environment as ev
 import spack.error
@@ -380,10 +379,9 @@ def generate_pipeline(env: ev.Environment, args) -> None:
         args: (spack.main.SpackArgumentParser): Parsed arguments from the command
             line.
     """
-    with spack.concretize.disable_compiler_existence_check():
-        with env.write_transaction():
-            env.concretize()
-            env.write()
+    with env.write_transaction():
+        env.concretize()
+        env.write()
 
     options = collect_pipeline_options(env, args)
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/ci/common.py b/lib/spack/spack/ci/common.py
index 43481679c66..68e0d91c17e 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/ci/common.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/ci/common.py
@@ -209,10 +209,8 @@ def build_name(self, spec: Optional[spack.spec.Spec] = None) -> Optional[str]:
 
         Returns: (str) given spec's CDash build name."""
         if spec:
-            build_name = (
-                f"{spec.name}@{spec.version}%{spec.compiler} "
-                f"hash={spec.dag_hash()} arch={spec.architecture} ({self.build_group})"
-            )
+            spec_str = spec.format("{name}{@version}{%compiler} hash={hash} arch={architecture}")
+            build_name = f"{spec_str} ({self.build_group})"
             tty.debug(f"Generated CDash build name ({build_name}) from the {spec.name}")
             return build_name
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/mirror.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/mirror.py
index b13a9ee8b52..512931e11b4 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/mirror.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/mirror.py
@@ -515,16 +515,15 @@ def extend_with_dependencies(specs):
 
 def concrete_specs_from_cli_or_file(args):
     tty.msg("Concretizing input specs")
-    with spack.concretize.disable_compiler_existence_check():
-        if args.specs:
-            specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(args.specs, concretize=True)
-            if not specs:
-                raise SpackError("unable to parse specs from command line")
+    if args.specs:
+        specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(args.specs, concretize=True)
+        if not specs:
+            raise SpackError("unable to parse specs from command line")
 
-        if args.file:
-            specs = specs_from_text_file(args.file, concretize=True)
-            if not specs:
-                raise SpackError("unable to parse specs from file '{}'".format(args.file))
+    if args.file:
+        specs = specs_from_text_file(args.file, concretize=True)
+        if not specs:
+            raise SpackError("unable to parse specs from file '{}'".format(args.file))
     return specs
 
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py b/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py
index b6e10c1766b..8bd561acb88 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 """High-level functions to concretize list of specs"""
 import sys
 import time
-from contextlib import contextmanager
 from typing import Iterable, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, Union
 
 import llnl.util.tty as tty
@@ -17,25 +16,6 @@
 import spack.util.parallel
 from spack.spec import ArchSpec, CompilerSpec, Spec
 
-CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE = True
-
-
-@contextmanager
-def disable_compiler_existence_check():
-    global CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE
-    CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE, saved = False, CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE
-    yield
-    CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE = saved
-
-
-@contextmanager
-def enable_compiler_existence_check():
-    global CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE
-    CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE, saved = True, CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE
-    yield
-    CHECK_COMPILER_EXISTENCE = saved
-
-
 SpecPairInput = Tuple[Spec, Optional[Spec]]
 SpecPair = Tuple[Spec, Spec]
 TestsType = Union[bool, Iterable[str]]
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py
index 8562be992f1..c94010c4c87 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py
@@ -128,9 +128,7 @@ def test_satisfy_strict_constraint_when_not_concrete(architecture_tuple, constra
     str(archspec.cpu.host().family) != "x86_64", reason="tests are for x86_64 uarch ranges"
 )
 def test_concretize_target_ranges(root_target_range, dep_target_range, result, monkeypatch):
-    spec = Spec(
+    spec = spack.concretize.concretize_one(
         f"pkg-a %gcc@10 foobar=bar target={root_target_range} ^pkg-b target={dep_target_range}"
     )
-    with spack.concretize.disable_compiler_existence_check():
-        spec = spack.concretize.concretize_one(spec)
     assert spec.target == spec["pkg-b"].target == result