diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/package.py b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
index c61f8262f7..50f4e715b1 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/package.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
@@ -96,25 +96,35 @@ def __get__(self, instance, owner):
         phase = getattr(instance, self.name)
         @functools.wraps(phase)
         def phase_wrapper(spec, prefix):
+            # Check instance attributes at the beginning of a phase
+            self._on_phase_start(instance)
             # Execute phase pre-conditions,
             # and give them the chance to fail
             for check in self.preconditions:
-                check(instance)
-            # Do something sensible at some point
+                check(instance)            # Do something sensible at some point
             phase(spec, prefix)
             # Execute phase sanity_checks,
             # and give them the chance to fail
             for check in self.sanity_checks:
                 check(instance)
-            if getattr(instance, 'last_phase', None) == self.name:
-                raise StopIteration('Stopping at \'{0}\' phase'.format(self.name))
+            # Check instance attributes at the end of a phase
+            self._on_phase_exit(instance)
         return phase_wrapper
 
+    def _on_phase_start(self, instance):
+        pass
+
+    def _on_phase_exit(self, instance):
+        # If a phase has a matching last_phase attribute,
+        # stop the installation process raising a StopIteration
+        if getattr(instance, 'last_phase', None) == self.name:
+            raise StopIteration('Stopping at \'{0}\' phase'.format(self.name))
+
 
 class PackageMeta(type):
     """Conveniently transforms attributes to permit extensible phases
 
-    Iterates over the attribute 'phase' and creates / updates private
+    Iterates over the attribute 'phases' and creates / updates private
     InstallPhase attributes in the class that is being initialized
     """
     phase_fmt = '_InstallPhase_{0}'
@@ -156,14 +166,25 @@ def _append_checks(check_name):
         def _register_checks(cls, check_type, *args):
             def _register_sanity_checks(func):
                 attr_name = PackageMeta.phase_fmt.format(check_type)
-                sanity_checks = getattr(meta, attr_name)
+                check_list = getattr(meta, attr_name)
                 for item in args:
-                    checks = sanity_checks.setdefault(item, [])
+                    checks = check_list.setdefault(item, [])
                     checks.append(func)
-                setattr(meta, attr_name, sanity_checks)
+                setattr(meta, attr_name, check_list)
                 return func
             return _register_sanity_checks
 
+        @staticmethod
+        def on_package_attributes(**attrs):
+            def _execute_under_condition(func):
+                @functools.wraps(func)
+                def _wrapper(instance):
+                    # If all the attributes have the value we require, then execute
+                    if all([getattr(instance, key, None) == value for key, value in attrs.items()]):
+                        func(instance)
+                return _wrapper
+            return _execute_under_condition
+
         @classmethod
         def precondition(cls, *args):
             return cls._register_checks('preconditions', *args)
@@ -181,6 +202,9 @@ def sanity_check(cls, *args):
         if all([not hasattr(x, 'precondition') for x in bases]):
             attr_dict['precondition'] = precondition
 
+        if all([not hasattr(x, 'on_package_attributes') for x in bases]):
+            attr_dict['on_package_attributes'] = on_package_attributes
+
         # Preconditions
         _append_checks('preconditions')
         # Sanity checks
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
index 54c74901f0..3b2600e671 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
 
 class Hdf5(AutotoolsPackage):
     """HDF5 is a data model, library, and file format for storing and managing
-       data. It supports an unlimited variety of datatypes, and is designed for
-       flexible and efficient I/O and for high volume and complex data.
+    data. It supports an unlimited variety of datatypes, and is designed for
+    flexible and efficient I/O and for high volume and complex data.
     """
 
     homepage = "http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/"
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ class Hdf5(AutotoolsPackage):
     variant('szip', default=False, description='Enable szip support')
     variant('threadsafe', default=False, description='Enable thread-safe capabilities')
 
-    depends_on("mpi", when='+mpi')
-    depends_on("szip", when='+szip')
-    depends_on("zlib")
+    depends_on('mpi', when='+mpi')
+    depends_on('szip', when='+szip')
+    depends_on('zlib')
 
     @AutotoolsPackage.precondition('configure')
     def validate(self):
@@ -140,15 +140,9 @@ def configure_args(self):
             ])
 
         return ["--with-zlib=%s" % spec['zlib'].prefix] + extra_args
-        #configure(
-        #    "--prefix=%s" % prefix,
-        #    "--with-zlib=%s" % spec['zlib'].prefix,
-        #    *extra_args)
-        #make()
-        #make("install")
-        #self.check_install(spec)
 
     @AutotoolsPackage.sanity_check('install')
+    @AutotoolsPackage.on_package_attributes(run_tests=True)
     def check_install(self):
         "Build and run a small program to test the installed HDF5 library"
         spec = self.spec
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py
index edf6dc1d4c..9232bbe4e6 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
         ]
 
     @AutotoolsPackage.sanity_check('build')
+    @AutotoolsPackage.on_package_attributes(run_tests=True)
     def check(self):
-        if self.extra_args.get('build-tests', False):
-            make('check')
+        make('check')
+        make('test')