diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/conduit/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/conduit/package.py
index 4f1bd9993c..0acdea9d38 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/conduit/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/conduit/package.py
@@ -422,9 +422,13 @@ def hostconfig(self, spec, prefix):
             cfg.write("# python from spack \n")
             cfg.write(cmake_cache_entry("PYTHON_EXECUTABLE",
                       spec['python'].command.path))
-            cfg.write("# python module install dir\n")
-            cfg.write(cmake_cache_entry("PYTHON_MODULE_INSTALL_PREFIX",
-                      site_packages_dir))
+            try:
+                cfg.write("# python module install dir\n")
+                cfg.write(cmake_cache_entry("PYTHON_MODULE_INSTALL_PREFIX",
+                          site_packages_dir))
+            except NameError:
+                # spack's  won't exist in a subclass
+                pass
         else:
             cfg.write(cmake_cache_entry("ENABLE_PYTHON", "OFF"))