diff --git a/lib/spack/env/cc b/lib/spack/env/cc
index 5efe015c9e..3300d6781a 100755
--- a/lib/spack/env/cc
+++ b/lib/spack/env/cc
@@ -320,9 +320,13 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
             if [ -z "$arg" ]; then shift; arg="$1"; fi
             if [[ "$arg" = -rpath=* ]]; then
                 rp="${arg#-rpath=}"
+            elif [[ "$arg" = --rpath=* ]]; then
+                rp="${arg#--rpath=}"
             elif [[ "$arg" = -rpath,* ]]; then
                 rp="${arg#-rpath,}"
-            elif [[ "$arg" = -rpath ]]; then
+            elif [[ "$arg" = --rpath,* ]]; then
+                rp="${arg#--rpath,}"
+            elif [[ "$arg" =~ ^-?-rpath$ ]]; then
                 shift; arg="$1"
                 if [[ "$arg" != -Wl,* ]]; then
                     die "-Wl,-rpath was not followed by -Wl,*"
@@ -339,7 +343,9 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
             if [ -z "$arg" ]; then shift; arg="$1"; fi
             if [[ "$arg" = -rpath=* ]]; then
                 rp="${arg#-rpath=}"
-            elif [[ "$arg" = -rpath ]]; then
+            elif [[ "$arg" = --rpath=* ]]; then
+                rp="${arg#--rpath=}"
+            elif [[ "$arg" = -rpath  ]] || [[ "$arg" = --rpath ]]; then
                 shift; arg="$1"
                 if [[ "$arg" != -Xlinker,* ]]; then
                     die "-Xlinker,-rpath was not followed by -Xlinker,*"
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py
index 7b8d34fbde..b719286f84 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     '-Wl,--end-group',
     '-Xlinker', '-rpath', '-Xlinker', '/third/rpath',
     '-Xlinker', '-rpath', '-Xlinker', '/fourth/rpath',
+    '-Wl,--rpath,/fifth/rpath', '-Wl,--rpath', '-Wl,/sixth/rpath',
     '-llib3', '-llib4',
     'arg5', 'arg6']
 
@@ -45,11 +46,13 @@
 
 test_wl_rpaths = [
     '-Wl,-rpath,/first/rpath', '-Wl,-rpath,/second/rpath',
-    '-Wl,-rpath,/third/rpath', '-Wl,-rpath,/fourth/rpath']
+    '-Wl,-rpath,/third/rpath', '-Wl,-rpath,/fourth/rpath',
+    '-Wl,-rpath,/fifth/rpath', '-Wl,-rpath,/sixth/rpath']
 
 test_rpaths = [
     '-rpath', '/first/rpath', '-rpath', '/second/rpath',
-    '-rpath', '/third/rpath', '-rpath', '/fourth/rpath']
+    '-rpath', '/third/rpath', '-rpath', '/fourth/rpath',
+    '-rpath', '/fifth/rpath', '-rpath', '/sixth/rpath']
 
 test_args_without_paths = [
     'arg1',