diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pygmo/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pygmo/package.py
index cb7336b5ea..ab23d1749d 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pygmo/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pygmo/package.py
@@ -19,17 +19,23 @@ class Pygmo(CMakePackage):
     version('master', branch='master')
     version('2.18.0', sha256='9f081cc973297894af09f713f889870ac452bfb32b471f9f7ba08a5e0bb9a125')
 
-    depends_on('pagmo2', type=('build', 'link'))
-    depends_on('mpi', type='build')
-    depends_on('py-pybind11@2.6.0:2.6.2', type='build')
-    depends_on('cmake@3.1:', type='build')
-
     variant('shared', default=True, description='Build shared libraries')
 
-    def cmake_args(self):
+    # Run-time dependencies
+    # https://github.com/esa/pygmo2/blob/master/doc/install.rst#dependencies
+    extends('python@3.4:')
+    depends_on('pagmo2@2.18:')
+    depends_on('boost@1.60:')
+    depends_on('py-numpy', type=('build', 'run'))
+    depends_on('py-cloudpickle', type=('build', 'run'))
 
-        args = [
+    # Build-time dependencies
+    # https://github.com/esa/pygmo2/blob/master/doc/install.rst#installation-from-source
+    depends_on('py-pybind11@2.6:', type='build')
+    depends_on('cmake@3.17:', type='build')
+
+    def cmake_args(self):
+        return [
+            self.define('PYGMO_INSTALL_PATH', python_platlib),
             self.define_from_variant('BUILD_SHARED_LIBS', 'shared'),
         ]
-
-        return args