diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/geant4/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/geant4/package.py
index f7728d3c2e..acae419ed6 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/geant4/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/geant4/package.py
@@ -56,19 +56,19 @@ class Geant4(CMakePackage):
     depends_on('cmake@3.8:', type='build', when='@10.6.0:')
     depends_on('cmake@3.5:', type='build')
 
-    depends_on('geant4-data@11.0.0', when='@11.0.0')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.3', when='@10.7.3')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.2', when='@10.7.2')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.1', when='@10.7.1')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.0', when='@10.7.0')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.3', when='@10.6.3')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.2', when='@10.6.2')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.1', when='@10.6.1')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.0', when='@10.6.0')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.5.1', when='@10.5.1')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.4.3', when='@10.4.3')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.4.0', when='@10.4.0')
-    depends_on('geant4-data@10.3.3', when='@10.3.3')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@11.0.0', type='run', when='@11.0.0')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.3', type='run', when='@10.7.3')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.2', type='run', when='@10.7.2')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.1', type='run', when='@10.7.1')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.7.0', type='run', when='@10.7.0')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.3', type='run', when='@10.6.3')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.2', type='run', when='@10.6.2')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.1', type='run', when='@10.6.1')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.6.0', type='run', when='@10.6.0')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.5.1', type='run', when='@10.5.1')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.4.3', type='run', when='@10.4.3')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.4.0', type='run', when='@10.4.0')
+    depends_on('geant4-data@10.3.3', type='run', when='@10.3.3')
 
     depends_on("expat")
     depends_on("zlib")
@@ -169,12 +169,8 @@ def cmake_args(self):
             # geant4 libs at application runtime
             options.append('-DGEANT4_BUILD_TLS_MODEL=global-dynamic')
 
-        # install the data with geant4
-        datadir = spec['geant4-data'].prefix.share
-        dataver = '{0}-{1}'.format(spec['geant4-data'].name,
-                                   spec['geant4-data'].version.dotted)
-        datapath = join_path(datadir, dataver)
-        options.append('-DGEANT4_INSTALL_DATADIR={0}'.format(datapath))
+        # never install the data with geant4
+        options.append('-DGEANT4_INSTALL_DATA=OFF')
 
         # Vecgeom
         if '+vecgeom' in spec: