diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py
index 2b6eb12fa1..be203f7aa0 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/netlib-lapack/package.py
@@ -108,8 +108,9 @@ class NetlibLapack(CMakePackage):
     # https://github.com/Reference-LAPACK/lapack/pull/268
     patch("testing.patch", when="@3.7.0:3.8")
 
-    # virtual dependency
-    provides("blas", when="~external-blas")
+    # liblapack links to libblas, so if this package is used as a lapack
+    # provider, it must also provide blas.
+    provides("lapack", "blas", when="~external-blas")
     provides("lapack")
 
     depends_on("blas", when="+external-blas")