diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
index 094ebaf170..68a36a07d4 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
@@ -844,8 +844,6 @@ def solve(self, setup, specs, reuse=None, output=None, control=None, allow_depre
         parent_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
         self.control.load(os.path.join(parent_dir, "concretize.lp"))
         self.control.load(os.path.join(parent_dir, "heuristic.lp"))
-        if spack.config.CONFIG.get("concretizer:duplicates:strategy", "none") != "none":
-            self.control.load(os.path.join(parent_dir, "heuristic_separate.lp"))
         self.control.load(os.path.join(parent_dir, "display.lp"))
         if not setup.concretize_everything:
             self.control.load(os.path.join(parent_dir, "when_possible.lp"))
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic.lp b/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic.lp
index 71ed64b3f8..1bace84312 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic.lp
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic.lp
@@ -4,21 +4,31 @@
 % SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
 
 %=============================================================================
-% Heuristic to speed-up solves (node with ID 0)
+% Heuristic to speed-up solves
 %=============================================================================
 
+% No duplicates by default (most of them will be true)
+#heuristic attr("node",         node(1..X-1, Package)) : max_dupes(Package, X), not virtual(Package), X > 1. [50, false]
+#heuristic attr("virtual_node", node(1..X-1, Package)) : max_dupes(Package, X), virtual(Package)    , X > 1. [50, false]
 
-%-----------------
-% Domain heuristic
-%-----------------
+% Pick preferred version
+#heuristic attr("version", node(PackageID, Package), Version) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0     )), attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)).             [40, true]
+#heuristic attr("version", node(PackageID, Package), Version) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, Weight)), attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)), Weight > 0. [40, false]
+#heuristic version_weight(node(PackageID, Package), 0)        : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0     )), attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)).             [40, true]
 
-% Root node
-#heuristic attr("version", node(0, Package), Version) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0)), attr("root", node(0, Package)). [35, true]
-#heuristic version_weight(node(0, Package), 0) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0)), attr("root", node(0, Package)). [35, true]
-#heuristic attr("variant_value", node(0, Package), Variant, Value) : variant_default_value(Package, Variant, Value), attr("root", node(0, Package)). [35, true]
-#heuristic attr("node_target", node(0, Package), Target) : target_weight(Target, 0), attr("root", node(0, Package)). [35, true]
-#heuristic node_target_weight(node(0, Package), 0) : attr("root", node(0, Package)). [35, true]
-#heuristic node_compiler(node(0, Package), CompilerID) : compiler_weight(ID, 0), compiler_id(ID), attr("root", node(0, Package)). [35, true]
+% Use default variants
+#heuristic attr("variant_value", node(PackageID, Package), Variant, Value) : variant_default_value(Package, Variant, Value),     attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)). [40, true]
+#heuristic attr("variant_value", node(PackageID, Package), Variant, Value) : not variant_default_value(Package, Variant, Value), attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)). [40, false]
 
-% Providers
-#heuristic attr("node", node(0, Package)) : default_provider_preference(Virtual, Package, 0), possible_in_link_run(Package). [30, true]
+% Use default operating system and platform
+#heuristic attr("node_os", node(PackageID, Package), OS) : os(OS, 0), attr("root", node(PackageID, Package)). [40, true]
+#heuristic attr("node_platform", node(PackageID, Package), Platform) : allowed_platform(Platform), attr("root", node(PackageID, Package)). [40, true]
+
+% Use default targets
+#heuristic attr("node_target", node(PackageID, Package), Target) : target_weight(Target, 0), attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)). [30, true]
+#heuristic attr("node_target", node(PackageID, Package), Target) : target_weight(Target, Weight), attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)), Weight > 0. [30, false]
+#heuristic node_target_weight(node(PackageID, Package), 0) : attr("node", node(PackageID, Package)). [30, true]
+
+% Use the default compilers
+#heuristic node_compiler(node(0, Package), ID) : compiler_weight(ID, 0)     , compiler_id(ID), attr("node", node(0, Package)). [30, true]
+#heuristic node_compiler(node(0, Package), ID) : compiler_weight(ID, Weight), compiler_id(ID), attr("node", node(0, Package)), Weight > 0. [30, false]
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic_separate.lp b/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic_separate.lp
deleted file mode 100644
index 2b499d0798..0000000000
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/heuristic_separate.lp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-% Copyright 2013-2024 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC and other
-% Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
-%
-% SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
-
-%=============================================================================
-% Heuristic to speed-up solves (node with ID > 0)
-%=============================================================================
-
-% node(ID, _)
-#heuristic attr("version", node(ID, Package), Version) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0)), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), ID > 0. [25-5*ID, true]
-#heuristic version_weight(node(ID, Package), 0) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0)), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), ID > 0. [25-5*ID, true]
-#heuristic attr("variant_value", node(ID, Package), Variant, Value) : variant_default_value(Package, Variant, Value), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), ID > 0. [25-5*ID, true]
-#heuristic attr("node_target", node(ID, Package), Target) : pkg_fact(Package, target_weight(Target, 0)), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), ID > 0. [25-5*ID, true]
-#heuristic node_target_weight(node(ID, Package), 0) : attr("node", node(ID, Package)), ID > 0. [25-5*ID, true]
-#heuristic node_compiler(node(ID, Package), CompilerID) : compiler_weight(CompilerID, 0), compiler_id(CompilerID), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), ID > 0. [25-5*ID, true]
-
-% node(ID, _), split build dependencies
-#heuristic attr("version", node(ID, Package), Version) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0)), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), multiple_unification_sets(Package), ID > 0. [25, true]
-#heuristic version_weight(node(ID, Package), 0) : pkg_fact(Package, version_declared(Version, 0)), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), multiple_unification_sets(Package), ID > 0. [25, true]
-#heuristic attr("variant_value", node(ID, Package), Variant, Value) : variant_default_value(Package, Variant, Value), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), multiple_unification_sets(Package), ID > 0. [25, true]
-#heuristic attr("node_target", node(ID, Package), Target) : pkg_fact(Package, target_weight(Target, 0)), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), multiple_unification_sets(Package), ID > 0. [25, true]
-#heuristic node_target_weight(node(ID, Package), 0) : attr("node", node(ID, Package)), multiple_unification_sets(Package), ID > 0. [25, true]
-#heuristic node_compiler(node(ID, Package), CompilerID) : compiler_weight(CompilerID, 0), compiler_id(CompilerID), attr("node", node(ID, Package)), multiple_unification_sets(Package), ID > 0. [25, true]