diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parallel-netcdf/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parallel-netcdf/package.py
index 722efab16e4..e34b766ec81 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parallel-netcdf/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parallel-netcdf/package.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ def url_for_version(self, version):
     depends_on('automake', when='@master', type='build')
     depends_on('libtool', when='@master', type='build')
 
+    depends_on('perl', type='build')
+
     conflicts('+shared', when='@:1.9%nag+fortran')
     conflicts('+shared', when='@:1.8')