diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/environment.py b/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/environment.py
index 2a2fc37b454afa..71d54a8ad145b0 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/environment.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/bootstrap/environment.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def _write_spack_yaml_file(self) -> None:
 
 def isort_root_spec() -> str:
     """Return the root spec used to bootstrap isort"""
-    return _root_spec("py-isort@4.3.5:")
+    return _root_spec("py-isort@5")
 
 
 def mypy_root_spec() -> str:
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-isort/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-isort/package.py
index aca4dd29047753..5a4ea271f6a834 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-isort/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-isort/package.py
@@ -13,16 +13,33 @@ class PyIsort(PythonPackage):
     pypi = "isort/isort-4.2.15.tar.gz"
 
     version("5.12.0", sha256="8bef7dde241278824a6d83f44a544709b065191b95b6e50894bdc722fcba0504")
+    version("5.11.5", sha256="6be1f76a507cb2ecf16c7cf14a37e41609ca082330be4e3436a18ef74add55db")
     version("5.10.1", sha256="e8443a5e7a020e9d7f97f1d7d9cd17c88bcb3bc7e218bf9cf5095fe550be2951")
     version("5.9.3", sha256="9c2ea1e62d871267b78307fe511c0838ba0da28698c5732d54e2790bf3ba9899")
     version("5.9.1", sha256="83510593e07e433b77bd5bff0f6f607dbafa06d1a89022616f02d8b699cfcd56")
-    version("4.3.20", sha256="c40744b6bc5162bbb39c1257fe298b7a393861d50978b565f3ccd9cb9de0182a")
-    version("4.2.15", sha256="79f46172d3a4e2e53e7016e663cc7a8b538bec525c36675fcfd2767df30b3983")
+    version(
+        "4.3.20",
+        sha256="c40744b6bc5162bbb39c1257fe298b7a393861d50978b565f3ccd9cb9de0182a",
+        deprecated=True,
+    )
+    version(
+        "4.2.15",
+        sha256="79f46172d3a4e2e53e7016e663cc7a8b538bec525c36675fcfd2767df30b3983",
+        deprecated=True,
+    )
 
     variant("colors", default=False, description="Install colorama for --color support")
 
-    depends_on("python@3.8:", when="@5.12:", type=("build", "run"))
-    depends_on("python@3.6.1:3", when="@5:5.10", type=("build", "run"))
+    with default_args(type=("build", "run")):
+        depends_on("python@3.8:", when="@5.12:")
+        depends_on("python@3.7:", when="@5.11")
+        # This needs to be @3.6 since for bootstrapping the current Spack interpreter is
+        # identified by major.minor (and the new versioning identifies it as @=3.6)
+        depends_on("python@3.6:3", when="@5.10")
+        depends_on("python@3.6:3", when="@5.9")
+
+    conflicts("python@3.6.0", when="@5:")
+
     depends_on("py-setuptools", when="@:4", type=("build", "run"))
     depends_on("py-poetry-core@1:", when="@5:", type="build")
     depends_on("py-colorama@0.4.3:", when="+colors @5.12:", type=("build", "run"))