diff --git a/manager/manager_cmds/external.py b/manager/manager_cmds/external.py
index 10051953..06293e01 100644
--- a/manager/manager_cmds/external.py
+++ b/manager/manager_cmds/external.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 import spack
 import spack.config
-import spack.detection
 import spack.environment as ev
 import spack.util.spack_yaml as syaml
 from spack.detection.common import _pkg_config_dict
@@ -46,11 +45,11 @@ def create_external_detected_spec(env, spec):
         return None
     # attempt to return a valid spec using the current spack instance
     try:
-        return spack.detection.DetectedPackage(Spec.from_detection(pruned_spec), prefix)
+        return Spec.from_detection(pruned_spec, external_path=prefix)
     except spack.variant.UnknownVariantError:
         # if it is an old spec then a variant could have changed so we just create a spec from the
         # pruned_spec string
-        return spack.detection.DetectedPackage(Spec(pruned_spec), prefix)
+        return Spec(pruned_spec, external_path=prefix)
 
 
 def assemble_dict_of_detected_externals(env, exclude, include):
diff --git a/scripts/recursive_develop.py b/scripts/recursive_develop.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..941d3ec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/recursive_develop.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env spack-python
+import argparse
+
+import spack.cmd
+import spack.main
+
+develop = spack.main.SpackCommand("develop")
+#def develop(*args):
+#    print(f"Calling spack develop on {args}")
+
+def parse_args():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('spec', help='Spec to recursively call spack develop until the root is hit.', default=None)
+    parser.add_argument("--forward", "-f", help="string containing arguments to forward to 'spack develop' calls")
+    return parser.parse_args()
+
+def develop_dependents(input, env, develop_args=[]):
+    specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(input)
+    if len(specs) > 1:
+        raise SpackError("spack develop requires at most one named spec")
+    spec = specs[0]
+
+    calling_args=develop_args+[input]
+
+    print(f"Calling spack develop {' '.join(calling_args)}")
+
+    develop(*develop_args)
+
+    concrete_specs = env.all_matching_specs(spec)
+    if not concrete_specs:
+        return
+    for cspec in concrete_specs:
+        for p in cspec.traverse_edges(direction="parents"):
+            calling_args=develop_args+[p.spec.format("{name}@{version}")]
+            develop(*calling_args)
+    return
+
+
+def main():
+    args = parse_args()
+    env = spack.cmd.require_active_env(cmd_name="recursive")
+    if args.forward:
+        develop_args = args.forward.split()
+    else:
+        develop_args = []
+    with env:
+        develop_dependents(args.spec, env, develop_args)
+
+            
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()