diff --git a/packages/py-snudda/package.py b/packages/py-snudda/package.py
index a1604a576873b13c300fc35156b91fad76debe66..9f741f99bf1d201e311c55c07450712d750a57f3 100644
--- a/packages/py-snudda/package.py
+++ b/packages/py-snudda/package.py
@@ -22,10 +22,9 @@ class PySnudda(Package):
     depends_on('py-libsonata', type=('build','run')) # got it from https://github.com/BlueBrain/spack/tree/develop/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-libsonata
     depends_on('py-pyzmq', type=('build','run'))
     depends_on('py-numexpr', type=('build','run'))
-    depends_on('py-argparse', type=('build','run'))
     depends_on('neuron', type=('build','run'))
     depends_on('py-pyswarms', type=('build','run'))
-    depends_on('py-setuptools', type=('build','run'))
+    depends_on('py-setuptools', type=('build'))
     depends_on('py-psutil', type=('build','run'))
     depends_on('py-cython', type=('build','run'))
     depends_on('py-numba', type=('build','run'))