diff --git a/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/glog b/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/glog
index b5d5fa814..2649eaad1 100644
--- a/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/glog
+++ b/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/glog
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ HAVE_TR1_UNORDERED_SET=OFF
 [homebrew]
 glog
 
-[debs]
+# on ubuntu glog brings in liblzma-dev, which in turn breaks watchman tests
+[debs.not(distro=ubuntu)]
 libgoogle-glog-dev
 
 [rpms.distro=fedora]
diff --git a/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/libunwind b/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/libunwind
index 0a4f03bc8..fda19209a 100644
--- a/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/libunwind
+++ b/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/libunwind
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ name = libunwind
 libunwind-devel
 libunwind
 
-[debs]
+# on ubuntu this brings in liblzma-dev, which in turn breaks watchman tests
+[debs.not(distro=ubuntu)]
 libunwind-dev
 
 [download]
diff --git a/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/xz b/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/xz
index 0b27ad63c..e6c0808ff 100644
--- a/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/xz
+++ b/build/fbcode_builder/manifests/xz
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 [manifest]
 name = xz
 
-[debs]
+# ubuntu's package causes watchman's tests to hang
+[debs.not(distro=ubuntu)]
 liblzma-dev
 
 [homebrew]