diff --git a/configs/common/packages.yaml b/configs/common/packages.yaml
index a6618fb4d..c70d6dd3f 100644
--- a/configs/common/packages.yaml
+++ b/configs/common/packages.yaml
@@ -242,6 +242,8 @@
       variants: +rust_bootstrap
     py-shapely:
       require: ['@1.8.0']
+    py-torch:
+      require: "+internal-protobuf ~mkldnn"
     qt:
       version: ['5.15.3']
     scotch:
diff --git a/spack-ext/repos/spack-stack/packages/ai-env/package.py b/spack-ext/repos/spack-stack/packages/ai-env/package.py
index 2d7379f45..1d50e0a78 100644
--- a/spack-ext/repos/spack-stack/packages/ai-env/package.py
+++ b/spack-ext/repos/spack-stack/packages/ai-env/package.py
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@ class AiEnv(BundlePackage):
     version("1.0.0")
 
     depends_on("jedi-base-env", type="run")
-    depends_on("py-torch +internal-protobuf", type="run")
+    depends_on("py-torch", type="run")
 
     # There is no need for install() since there is no code.