diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py
index 13d57d9163..bc04be8a31 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py
@@ -87,7 +87,10 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
             '-DWITH_QT:BOOL=%s' % ('ON' if '+qt' in spec else 'OFF'),
             '-DWITH_VTK:BOOL=%s' % ('ON' if '+vtk' in spec else 'OFF')])
 
-        if '^gtkplus@3:' in spec:
+        if '+gtk' not in spec:
+            cmake_options.extend(['-DWITH_GTK:BOOL=OFF',
+                                  '-DWITH_GTK_2_X:BOOL=OFF'])
+        elif '^gtkplus@3:' in spec:
             cmake_options.extend(['-DWITH_GTK:BOOL=ON',
                                   '-DWITH_GTK_2_X:BOOL=OFF'])
         elif '^gtkplus@2:3' in spec: