diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/s/suitesparse.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/s/suitesparse.py
index 807fb835eb5..2cff1575ce1 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/s/suitesparse.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/s/suitesparse.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
 from easybuild.easyblocks.generic.configuremake import ConfigureMake
 from easybuild.tools.build_log import EasyBuildError
-from easybuild.tools.filetools import mkdir, write_file, adjust_permissions
+from easybuild.tools.filetools import mkdir, write_file, adjust_permissions, copy_dir
 from easybuild.tools.modules import get_software_root
 from easybuild.tools.modules import get_software_libdir
 from easybuild.tools.systemtools import get_shared_lib_ext
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@ def install_step(self):
             dst = os.path.join(self.installdir, x)
             try:
                 if os.path.isdir(src):
-                    shutil.copytree(src, dst)
+                    # symlink points to CUDA folder that is
+                    # not created for non GPU nodes. shutil
+                    # throws an error in this case.
+                    copy_dir(src, dst, symlinks=True)
                     # symlink
                     # - dst/Lib to dst/lib
                     # - dst/Include to dst/include