diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/__init__.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/__init__.py
index af40945c373..99587edcfd4 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/__init__.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ def all_compilers_config(
 def all_compiler_specs(scope=None, init_config=True):
     # Return compiler specs from the merged config.
     return [
-        spack.spec.parse_with_version_concrete(s["compiler"]["spec"], compiler=True)
+        spack.spec.parse_with_version_concrete(s["compiler"]["spec"])
         for s in all_compilers_config(spack.config.CONFIG, scope=scope, init_config=init_config)
     ]
 
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ def __eq__(self, other):
 
 
 def compiler_from_dict(items):
-    cspec = spack.spec.parse_with_version_concrete(items["spec"], compiler=True)
+    cspec = spack.spec.parse_with_version_concrete(items["spec"])
     os = items.get("operating_system", None)
     target = items.get("target", None)
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
index 4ffe1bf3ab9..4d06e7787ae 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
@@ -4824,9 +4824,9 @@ def substitute_abstract_variants(spec: Spec):
         )
 
 
-def parse_with_version_concrete(spec_like: Union[str, Spec], compiler: bool = False):
+def parse_with_version_concrete(spec_like: Union[str, Spec]):
     """Same as Spec(string), but interprets @x as @=x"""
-    s: Union[CompilerSpec, Spec] = CompilerSpec(spec_like) if compiler else Spec(spec_like)
+    s = Spec(spec_like)
     interpreted_version = s.versions.concrete_range_as_version
     if interpreted_version:
         s.versions = vn.VersionList([interpreted_version])