diff --git a/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py b/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
index a85cb4bd5c3a998787ef15268833500d662ffabe..76b7ca3097fdbca0d8b2c0f1287886a407f15ed7 100644
--- a/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
+++ b/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import os
 
 from spack import *
-from spack.pkg.builtin.boost import Boost
 
 
 class PynnBrainscales(WafPackage):
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ class PynnBrainscales(WafPackage):
                 include_dirs -= include_exclude_dirs
                 print('headers (', dep.name, '):', include_dirs, "\n")
                 include.extend(list(include_dirs))
-            except error.NoHeadersError:
+            except spack.error.NoHeadersError:
                 # we don't care if no header directories are found
                 pass
 
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ class PynnBrainscales(WafPackage):
                 library_dirs -= library_exclude_dirs
                 print('libs (', dep.name, '):', library_dirs, "\n")
                 library.extend(list(library_dirs))
-            except error.NoLibrariesError:
+            except spack.error.NoLibrariesError:
                 # we don't care if no library directories are found
                 pass