diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/environment.py b/lib/spack/spack/environment.py
index bc2126af4c..478aee7328 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/environment.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/environment.py
@@ -680,6 +680,8 @@ def add(self, user_spec, list_name='specs'):
             list_to_change.add(str(spec))
             index = list(self.read_specs.keys()).index(list_name)
 
+            # read_specs is an OrderedDict, all list entries after the modified
+            # list may refer to the modified list. Update stale references
             for i, (name, speclist) in enumerate(
                     list(self.read_specs.items())[index + 1:], index + 1):
                 new_reference = dict((n, self.read_specs[n])
@@ -711,10 +713,24 @@ def remove(self, query_spec, list_name='specs', force=False):
             raise SpackEnvironmentError(
                 "Not found: {0}".format(query_spec))
 
+        old_specs = set(self.user_specs)
         for spec in matches:
             if spec in list_to_change:
                 list_to_change.remove(spec)
 
+        # read_specs is an OrderedDict, all list entries after the modified
+        # list may refer to the modified list. Update stale references
+        index = list(self.read_specs.keys()).index(list_name)
+        for i, (name, speclist) in enumerate(
+                list(self.read_specs.items())[index + 1:], index + 1):
+            new_reference = dict((n, self.read_specs[n])
+                                 for n in list(self.read_specs.keys())[:i])
+            speclist.update_reference(new_reference)
+
+        # If force, update stale concretized specs
+        # Only check specs removed by this operation
+        new_specs = set(self.user_specs)
+        for spec in old_specs - new_specs:
             if force and spec in self.concretized_user_specs:
                 i = self.concretized_user_specs.index(spec)
                 del self.concretized_user_specs[i]
@@ -723,13 +739,6 @@ def remove(self, query_spec, list_name='specs', force=False):
                 del self.concretized_order[i]
                 del self.specs_by_hash[dag_hash]
 
-        index = list(self.read_specs.keys()).index(list_name)
-        for i, (name, speclist) in enumerate(
-                list(self.read_specs.items())[index + 1:], index + 1):
-            new_reference = dict((n, self.read_specs[n])
-                                 for n in list(self.read_specs.keys())[:i])
-            speclist.update_reference(new_reference)
-
     def concretize(self, force=False):
         """Concretize user_specs in this environment.
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
index d770739db7..fdf89f522c 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
@@ -846,12 +846,12 @@ def test_stack_yaml_remove_from_list_force(tmpdir):
             remove('-f', '-l', 'packages', 'mpileaks')
             find_output = find('-c')
 
-        print find_output
-        assert False
-        test = ev.read('test')
+        assert 'mpileaks' not in find_output
 
-        assert Spec('mpileaks') not in test.user_specs
-        assert Spec('callpath') in test.user_specs
+        test = ev.read('test')
+        assert len(test.user_specs) == 2
+        assert Spec('callpath ^zmpi') in test.user_specs
+        assert Spec('callpath ^mpich') in test.user_specs
 
 
 def test_stack_yaml_attempt_remove_from_matrix(tmpdir):