diff --git a/packages/hxtorch/package.py b/packages/hxtorch/package.py
index 43d44ba7815c97b1b1c7f72d00595b19b7bc86d7..833194e156b828a477e8d174f940c589ce7d2599 100644
--- a/packages/hxtorch/package.py
+++ b/packages/hxtorch/package.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class Hxtorch(WafPackage):
             query = self.spec[dep.name]
             try:
                 if dep.name in ['pthreadpool', 'fxdiv']:
-                    print('skipping {} for headers'.format(dep.name))
+                    print('skipping {} in SPACK_INCLUDE_DIRS/CPATH/C{,_PLUS}_INCLUDE_PATH\n'.format(dep.name))
                     for d in query.headers.directories:
                         if os.path.exists(d):
                             env.remove_path('SPACK_INCLUDE_DIRS', d)
@@ -75,25 +75,22 @@ class Hxtorch(WafPackage):
         library = []
         for dep in self.spec.traverse(deptype=('link', 'run')):
             query = self.spec[dep.name]
+            # we probably should skip/remove the entries for the same
+            # dependencies as above; however, ".libs" relies on the package
+            # name being the same as the library name (e.g. approx.
+            # libPACKAGE.so) so we are just moving googletest to the front
+            if dep.name == 'googletest':
+                for d in [self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib64, self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib]:
+                    if os.path.exists(d):
+                        print('moving to front of SPACK_{LINK,RPATH}_DIRS\n', d)
+                        env.remove_path('SPACK_LINK_DIRS', d)
+                        env.prepend_path('SPACK_LINK_DIRS', d)
+                        env.remove_path('SPACK_RPATH_DIRS', d)
+                        env.prepend_path('SPACK_RPATH_DIRS', d)
             try:
-                if dep.name in ['pthreadpool', 'fxdiv']:
-                    print('skipping {} for libs'.format(dep.name))
-                    for d in query.libs.directories:
-                        if os.path.exists(d):
-                            env.remove_path('SPACK_LINK_DIRS', d)
-                            env.remove_path('SPACK_RPATH_DIRS', d)
-                    continue
-                if dep.name == 'googletest':
-                    for d in [self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib64, self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib]:
-                        if os.path.exists(d):
-                            print('manually inserting at front ', d)
-                            env.remove_path('SPACK_LINK_DIRS', d)
-                            env.prepend_path('SPACK_LINK_DIRS', d)
-                            env.remove_path('SPACK_RPATH_DIRS', d)
-                            env.prepend_path('SPACK_RPATH_DIRS', d)
-                    continue
-                library.extend(query.libs.directories)
                 print('libs (', dep.name, '):', query.libs.directories, "\n")
+                # extend at front
+                library = query.libs.directories + library
             except:
                 pass