diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
index a9b04a2d5b5..aac98d11ade 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
@@ -258,6 +258,15 @@ def setup_build_environment(self, env):
         env.unset('PYTHONPATH')
         env.unset('PYTHONHOME')
 
+    def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
+        # python 3.8 requires -fwrapv when compiled with intel
+        if self.spec.satisfies('@3.8: %intel'):
+            if name == 'cflags':
+                flags.append('-fwrapv')
+
+        # allow flags to be passed through compiler wrapper
+        return (flags, None, None)
+
     def configure_args(self):
         spec = self.spec
         config_args = []