diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mitofates/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mitofates/package.py
index 57d763b3409..8b968af5b52 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mitofates/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mitofates/package.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class Mitofates(Package):
     version('1.2', 'aaac42a8e8c7318a4abde9df3a4b72d1')
 
     depends_on('libsvm')
+    depends_on('perl', type='run')
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
         install_tree('bin', prefix.bin)