diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/aspell_dict.py b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/aspell_dict.py
index 3dac3480db2..6c55c363ab6 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/aspell_dict.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/build_systems/aspell_dict.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import llnl.util.filesystem as fs
 
 import spack.directives
-import spack.package_base
 import spack.util.executable
 
 from .autotools import AutotoolsBuilder, AutotoolsPackage