diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ghost/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ghost/package.py
index 8964ee6404..46f884e0f6 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ghost/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ghost/package.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 from spack import *
 
 
-class Ghost(CMakePackage):
+class Ghost(CMakePackage, CudaPackage):
     """GHOST: a General, Hybrid and Optimized Sparse Toolkit.
        This library provides highly optimized building blocks for implementing
        sparse iterative eigenvalue and linear solvers multi- and manycore
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ class Ghost(CMakePackage):
             description='Enables the build of shared libraries')
     variant('mpi', default=True,
             description='enable/disable MPI')
-    variant('cuda', default=False,
-            description='enable/disable CUDA')
     variant('scotch', default=False,
             description='enable/disable matrix reordering with PT-SCOTCH')
     variant('zoltan', default=False,
@@ -58,17 +56,14 @@ class Ghost(CMakePackage):
     depends_on('hwloc')
     depends_on('blas')
     depends_on('mpi', when='+mpi')
-    depends_on('cuda@8:', when='+cuda')
     depends_on('scotch', when='+scotch')
     depends_on('zoltan', when='+zoltan')
 
     def cmake_args(self):
         spec = self.spec
-        cblas_include_dir = ''
-        if '^mkl' not in spec:
-            cblas_include_dir = '-DCBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR=' + \
-                spec['blas'].prefix.include
-
+        # note: we require the cblas_include_dir property from the blas
+        # provider, this is implemented at least for intel-mkl and
+        # netlib-lapack
         args = ['-DGHOST_ENABLE_MPI:BOOL=%s'
                 % ('ON' if '+mpi' in spec else 'OFF'),
                 '-DGHOST_USE_CUDA:BOOL=%s'
@@ -78,9 +73,12 @@ def cmake_args(self):
                 '-DGHOST_USE_ZOLTAN:BOOL=%s'
                 % ('ON' if '+zoltan' in spec else 'OFF'),
                 '-DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=%s'
-                % ('ON' if '+shared' in spec else 'OFF'), cblas_include_dir
+                % ('ON' if '+shared' in spec else 'OFF'),
+                '-DCBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR:STRING=%s'
+                % format(spec['blas'].headers.directories[0]),
+                '-DBLAS_LIBRARIES=%s'
+                % spec['blas:c'].libs.joined(';')
                 ]
-
         return args
 
     def check(self):
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-mkl/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-mkl/package.py
index 6cbf355e56..67002bda7f 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-mkl/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-mkl/package.py
@@ -182,6 +182,18 @@ def scalapack_libs(self):
 
         return libs
 
+    @property
+    def headers(self):
+        prefix = self.spec.prefix
+        if sys.platform != 'darwin':
+            include_dir = prefix.compilers_and_libraries.linux.mkl.include
+        else:
+            include_dir = prefix.include
+
+        cblas_h = join_path(include_dir, 'mkl_cblas.h')
+        lapacke_h = join_path(include_dir, 'mkl_lapacke.h')
+        return HeaderList([cblas_h, lapacke_h])
+
     def setup_dependent_environment(self, spack_env, run_env, dependent_spec):
         # set up MKLROOT for everyone using MKL package
         if sys.platform == 'darwin':
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py
index 27d70e9c7a..bc74a99c59 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ class NetlibLapack(Package):
     version('3.4.0', '02d5706ec03ba885fc246e5fa10d8c70')
     version('3.3.1', 'd0d533ec9a5b74933c2a1e84eedc58b4')
 
-    variant('debug', default=False, description='Activates the Debug build type')
+    variant('debug', default=False,
+            description='Activates the Debug build type')
     variant('shared', default=True, description="Build shared library version")
     variant('external-blas', default=False,
             description='Build lapack with an external blas')
@@ -123,6 +124,13 @@ def lapack_libs(self):
             libraries, root=self.prefix, shared=shared, recursive=True
         )
 
+    @property
+    def headers(self):
+        include_dir = self.spec.prefix.include
+        cblas_h = join_path(include_dir, 'cblas.h')
+        lapacke_h = join_path(include_dir, 'lapacke.h')
+        return HeaderList([cblas_h, lapacke_h])
+
     def install_one(self, spec, prefix, shared):
         cmake_args = [
             '-DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=%s' % ('ON' if shared else 'OFF'),