diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py
index 43a7e999d2..d0fcb36c99 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py
@@ -60,3 +60,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
             args.append('--without-python')
 
         return args
+
+    def setup_dependent_environment(self, spack_env, run_env, dependent_spec):
+        spack_env.prepend_path('CPATH', self.prefix.include.libxml2)
+        run_env.prepend_path('CPATH', self.prefix.include.libxml2)