diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/aocc.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/aocc.py
index 326522c93cf..33039bf07d1 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/aocc.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/aocc.py
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ def debug_flags(self):
             "-gdwarf-5",
             "-gline-tables-only",
             "-gmodules",
-            "-gz",
             "-g",
         ]
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py
index 71837bfe5e1..5e63526df61 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/compilers/clang.py
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ def debug_flags(self):
             "-gdwarf-5",
             "-gline-tables-only",
             "-gmodules",
-            "-gz",
             "-g",
         ]
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/basics.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/basics.py
index 512defb1953..910c9e87d93 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/basics.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/compilers/basics.py
@@ -422,7 +422,6 @@ def test_clang_flags():
             "-gdwarf-5",
             "-gline-tables-only",
             "-gmodules",
-            "-gz",
             "-g",
         ],
         "clang@3.3",
@@ -445,7 +444,6 @@ def test_aocc_flags():
             "-gdwarf-5",
             "-gline-tables-only",
             "-gmodules",
-            "-gz",
             "-g",
         ],
         "aocc@2.2.0",