diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/llvm/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/llvm/package.py
index 407898d5f09..5946d6c784f 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/llvm/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/llvm/package.py
@@ -683,16 +683,19 @@ def cmake_args(self):
                 # hence the test to see if the version starts with "flang".
                 targets.append('CppBackend')
 
-            if 'x86' in spec.architecture.target.lower():
+            if spec.target.family == 'x86' or spec.target.family == 'x86_64':
                 targets.append('X86')
-            elif 'arm' in spec.architecture.target.lower():
+            elif spec.target.family == 'arm':
                 targets.append('ARM')
-            elif 'aarch64' in spec.architecture.target.lower():
+            elif spec.target.family == 'aarch64':
                 targets.append('AArch64')
-            elif 'sparc' in spec.architecture.target.lower():
+            elif (spec.target.family == 'sparc' or
+                  spec.target.family == 'sparc64'):
                 targets.append('Sparc')
-            elif ('ppc' in spec.architecture.target.lower() or
-                  'power' in spec.architecture.target.lower()):
+            elif (spec.target.family == 'ppc64' or
+                  spec.target.family == 'ppc64le' or
+                  spec.target.family == 'ppc' or
+                  spec.target.family == 'ppcle'):
                 targets.append('PowerPC')
 
             cmake_args.append(
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mesa/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mesa/package.py
index dba6c5d982d..918ae841d08 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mesa/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mesa/package.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
         args_gallium_drivers = ['swrast']
         args_dri_drivers = []
 
-        if 'arm' in spec.architecture.target.lower():
+        if spec.target.family == 'arm':
             args.append('--disable-libunwind')
 
         num_frontends = 0