diff --git a/packages/nest/nest-simulator-3.6-p1-CxxRealPath.patch b/packages/nest/nest-simulator-3.6-p1-CxxRealPath.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..db06851a1d56456c7d62e55cae24cf6fab54df19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nest/nest-simulator-3.6-p1-CxxRealPath.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/bin/nest-config.in b/bin/nest-config.in
+index a54ae0352..43bff5286 100755
+--- a/bin/nest-config.in
++++ b/bin/nest-config.in
+@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
+         echo "-L$prefix/@CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR@/nest @MODULE_LINK_LIBS@"
+         ;;
+     --compiler)
+-        echo "@CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER@"
++        echo "@SPACK_CXX_COMPILER@"
+         ;;
+     --compiler-name)
+         echo "@CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID@"
diff --git a/packages/nest/package.py b/packages/nest/package.py
index 6cf3ccb381289c5f27356e74a1ff95cf52893701..24d7ca2de8bb866159298b0ab29219d939cb5a98 100644
--- a/packages/nest/package.py
+++ b/packages/nest/package.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class Nest(CMakePackage):
 
     version('master', branch='master')
     version('3.6',    sha256='68d6b11791e1284dc94fef35d84c08dd7a11322c0f1e1fc9b39c5e6882284922')
+    patch('nest-simulator-3.6-p1-CxxRealPath.patch', when='@3.6')
     version('3.5',    sha256='3cdf5720854a4d8a7d359f9de9d2fb3619a0be2e36932028d6940360741547bd')
     version('3.4',    sha256='c56699111f899045ba48e55e87d14eca8763b48ebbb3648beee701a36aa3af20')
     version('3.3',    sha256='179462b966cc61f5785d2fee770bc36f86745598ace9cd97dd620622b62043ed')
@@ -159,7 +160,10 @@ class Nest(CMakePackage):
         make("install")
 
     def cmake_args(self):
-        args = ["-DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib"]
+        args = [
+            "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib",
+            "-DSPACK_CXX_COMPILER=" + self.compiler.cxx
+            ]
 
         for flag in "boost mpi openmp optimize".split():
             if '+' + flag in self.spec: