diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/enable_external_metis.patch b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/enable_external_metis.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..514781b8b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/enable_external_metis.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
+index ca945dd..1bf94e9 100644
+--- a/CMakeLists.txt
++++ b/CMakeLists.txt
+@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ include_directories(${GKLIB_PATH})
+ include_directories(${METIS_PATH}/include)
+
+ # List of directories that cmake will look for CMakeLists.txt
+-add_subdirectory(${METIS_PATH}/libmetis ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/libmetis)
++#add_subdirectory(${METIS_PATH}/libmetis ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/libmetis)
+ add_subdirectory(include)
+ add_subdirectory(libparmetis)
+ add_subdirectory(programs)
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/package.py
index c897dec7e4..3f18dd76b8 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/parmetis/package.py
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@
 
 from spack import *
 
-# FIXME : lot of code is duplicated from packages/metis/package.py . Inheriting from there may reduce
-# FIXME : the installation rules to just a few lines
-
 
 class Parmetis(Package):
     """
@@ -43,13 +40,11 @@ class Parmetis(Package):
     variant('debug', default=False, description='Builds the library in debug mode')
     variant('gdb', default=False, description='Enables gdb support')
 
-    variant('idx64', default=False, description='Use int64_t as default index type')
-    variant('double', default=False, description='Use double precision floating point types')
-
     depends_on('cmake @2.8:')  # build dependency
     depends_on('mpi')
 
-    # FIXME : this should conflict with metis as it builds its own version internally
+    patch('enable_external_metis.patch')
+    depends_on('metis')
 
     depends_on('gdb', when='+gdb')
 
@@ -63,8 +58,8 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
 
         # FIXME : Once a contract is defined, MPI compilers should be retrieved indirectly via spec['mpi'] in case
         # FIXME : they use a non-standard name
-        options.extend(['-DGKLIB_PATH:PATH={metis_source}/GKlib'.format(metis_source=metis_source),
-                        '-DMETIS_PATH:PATH={metis_source}'.format(metis_source=metis_source),
+        options.extend(['-DGKLIB_PATH:PATH={metis_source}/GKlib'.format(metis_source=metis_source), # still need headers from METIS source, and they are not installed with METIS. shame...
+                        '-DMETIS_PATH:PATH={metis_source}'.format(metis_source=spec['metis'].prefix),
                         '-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER:STRING=mpicc',
                         '-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:STRING=mpicxx'])
 
@@ -78,18 +73,7 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
         if '+gdb' in spec:
             options.append('-DGDB:BOOL=ON')
 
-        metis_header = join_path(metis_source, 'include', 'metis.h')
-
-        if '+idx64' in spec:
-            filter_file('IDXTYPEWIDTH 32', 'IDXTYPEWIDTH 64', metis_header)
-
-        if '+double' in spec:
-            filter_file('REALTYPEWIDTH 32', 'REALTYPEWIDTH 64', metis_header)
-
         with working_dir(build_directory, create=True):
             cmake(source_directory, *options)
             make()
             make("install")
-            # Parmetis build system doesn't allow for an external metis to be used, but doesn't copy the required
-            # metis header either
-            install(metis_header, self.prefix.include)