diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mercurial/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mercurial/package.py
index 2cee858c2e..2041f79eef 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mercurial/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mercurial/package.py
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ class Mercurial(PythonPackage):
     version('3.8.2', sha256='cb78b16956140625266a8a6d1fadc7c868969d994086e1ec60279a66bf20bffd')
     version('3.8.1', sha256='face1f058de5530b56b0dfd3b4d0b23d89590c588605c06f3d18b79e8c30d594')
 
-    depends_on('python@2.6:2.8', when='@:4.2.99', type=('build', 'run'))
-    depends_on('python@2.7:2.8,3.5.3:3.5.999,3.6.2:', when='@4.3:', type=('build', 'run'))
+    depends_on('python+bz2+ssl+zlib@2.6:2.8', when='@:4.2.99', type=('build', 'run'))
+    depends_on('python+bz2+ssl+zlib@2.7:2.8,3.5.3:3.5.999,3.6.2:', when='@4.3:', type=('build', 'run'))
     depends_on('py-setuptools', when='@3.6:', type='build')
     depends_on('py-docutils', type='build')
     depends_on('py-pygments', type=('build', 'run'))