diff --git a/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/default.py b/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/default.py
index 1147878a43..58b08e7f3b 100644
--- a/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/default.py
+++ b/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/default.py
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@
     'sanity_check_commands': [[], ("format: [(name, options)] e.g. [('gzip','-h')]. "
                                    "Using a non-tuple is equivalent to (name, '-h')"), BUILD],
     'sanity_check_paths': [{}, ("List of files and directories to check "
-                                "(format: {'files':<list>, 'dirs':<list>})"), BUILD],
+                                "(format: {'files':<list>, 'dirs':<list>}). "
+                                "Architecture specific list items are supported."), BUILD],
     'skip': [False, "Skip existing software", BUILD],
     'skip_mod_files_sanity_check': [False, "Skip the check for .mod files in a GCCcore level install", BUILD],
     'skipsteps': [[], "Skip these steps", BUILD],
@@ -169,8 +170,10 @@
 
     # DEPENDENCIES easyconfig parameters
     'allow_system_deps': [[], "Allow listed system dependencies (format: (<name>, <version>))", DEPENDENCIES],
-    'builddependencies': [[], "List of build dependencies", DEPENDENCIES],
-    'dependencies': [[], "List of dependencies", DEPENDENCIES],
+    'builddependencies': [[], ("List of build dependencies Architecture specific versions are supported "
+                               "with 'False' to exclude the dependency"), DEPENDENCIES],
+    'dependencies': [[], ("List of dependencies. Architecture specific versions are supported "
+                          "with 'False' to exclude the dependency"), DEPENDENCIES],
     'hiddendependencies': [[], "List of dependencies available as hidden modules", DEPENDENCIES],
     'multi_deps': [{}, "Dict of lists of dependency versions over which to iterate", DEPENDENCIES],
     'multi_deps_load_default': [True, "Load module for first version listed in multi_deps by default", DEPENDENCIES],
diff --git a/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/templates.py b/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/templates.py
index 8acf7a57ee..b87b35916a 100644
--- a/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/templates.py
+++ b/easybuild/framework/easyconfig/templates.py
@@ -440,13 +440,15 @@ def template_constant_dict(config, ignore=None, toolchain=None):
         if isinstance(dep_name, str) and dep_version:
             pref = name_to_prefix.get(dep_name.lower())
             if pref:
+                # Resolve version if not already done
                 dep_version = pick_dep_version(dep_version)
-                template_values['%sver' % pref] = dep_version
-                dep_version_parts = dep_version.split('.')
-                template_values['%smajver' % pref] = dep_version_parts[0]
-                if len(dep_version_parts) > 1:
-                    template_values['%sminver' % pref] = dep_version_parts[1]
-                template_values['%sshortver' % pref] = '.'.join(dep_version_parts[:2])
+                if dep_version:
+                    template_values['%sver' % pref] = dep_version
+                    dep_version_parts = dep_version.split('.')
+                    template_values['%smajver' % pref] = dep_version_parts[0]
+                    if len(dep_version_parts) > 1:
+                        template_values['%sminver' % pref] = dep_version_parts[1]
+                    template_values['%sshortver' % pref] = '.'.join(dep_version_parts[:2])
 
     # step 2.1: CUDA templates in NVHPC
     if toolchain is not None and hasattr(toolchain, 'name') and toolchain.name in TEMPLATE_CUDA_VERSION_NVHPC:
diff --git a/test/framework/easyconfig.py b/test/framework/easyconfig.py
index 2c4742644b..285f920bbe 100644
--- a/test/framework/easyconfig.py
+++ b/test/framework/easyconfig.py
@@ -3687,18 +3687,22 @@ def test_template_constant_dict(self):
         my_arch = st.get_cpu_architecture()
 
         # add Java dep with version specified using a dict value
-        toy_ec_txt += '\n'.join([
-            "dependencies += [",
-            "  ('Python', '3.7.2'),"
-            "  ('Java', {",
-            "    'arch=%s': '1.8.0_221'," % my_arch,
-            "    'arch=fooarch': '1.8.0-foo',",
-            "  })",
-            "]",
-            "builddependencies = [",
-            "  ('CMake', '3.18.4'),",
-            "]",
-        ])
+        toy_ec_txt += textwrap.dedent("""
+            dependencies += [
+              ('Python', '3.7.2'),
+              ('Java', {
+                'arch=<arch>': '1.8.0_221',
+                'arch=fooarch': '1.8.0-foo',
+              }),
+              ('Perl', {
+                'arch=<arch>': False,
+                'arch=fooarch': '1.42',
+              }),
+            ]
+            builddependencies = [
+              ('CMake', '3.18.4'),
+            ]
+        """).replace('<arch>', my_arch)
 
         test_ec = os.path.join(self.test_prefix, 'test.eb')
         write_file(test_ec, toy_ec_txt)
@@ -3733,39 +3737,28 @@ def test_template_constant_dict(self):
         }
 
         # proper EasyConfig instance
-        ec = EasyConfig(test_ec)
-
-        # CMake should *not* be included, since it's a build-only dependency
-        dep_names = [x['name'] for x in ec['dependencies']]
-        self.assertFalse('CMake' in dep_names, "CMake should not be included in list of dependencies: %s" % dep_names)
-        res = template_constant_dict(ec)
-        dep_names = [x['name'] for x in ec['dependencies']]
-        self.assertFalse('CMake' in dep_names, "CMake should not be included in list of dependencies: %s" % dep_names)
-
-        self.assertIn('arch', res)
-        arch = res.pop('arch')
-        self.assertTrue(arch_regex.match(arch), "'%s' matches with pattern '%s'" % (arch, arch_regex.pattern))
-
-        self.assertEqual(res, expected)
-
+        full_ec = EasyConfig(test_ec)
+        expected_full = expected
         # only perform shallow/quick parse (as is done in list_software function)
-        ec = EasyConfigParser(filename=test_ec).get_config_dict()
-
-        expected['module_name'] = None
+        shallow_ec = EasyConfigParser(filename=test_ec).get_config_dict()
+        expected_shallow = expected.copy()
+        expected_shallow['module_name'] = None
         for key in ('bitbucket_account', 'github_account', 'versionprefix'):
-            del expected[key]
+            del expected_shallow[key]
 
-        dep_names = [x[0] for x in ec['dependencies']]
-        self.assertFalse('CMake' in dep_names, "CMake should not be included in list of dependencies: %s" % dep_names)
-        res = template_constant_dict(ec)
-        dep_names = [x[0] for x in ec['dependencies']]
-        self.assertFalse('CMake' in dep_names, "CMake should not be included in list of dependencies: %s" % dep_names)
+        for name, ec, expected in (('Full', full_ec, expected_full), ('Shallow', shallow_ec, expected_shallow)):
+            with self.subTest(f'{name} easyconfig'):
+                # CMake should *not* be included, since it's a build-only dependency
+                dep_names = [x['name'] if isinstance(x, dict) else x[0] for x in ec['dependencies']]
+                self.assertNotIn('CMake', dep_names)
 
-        self.assertIn('arch', res)
-        arch = res.pop('arch')
-        self.assertTrue(arch_regex.match(arch), "'%s' matches with pattern '%s'" % (arch, arch_regex.pattern))
+                res = template_constant_dict(ec)
+                self.assertIn('arch', res)
+                arch = res.pop('arch')
+                self.assertRegex(arch, arch_regex)
 
-        self.assertEqual(res, expected)
+                self.assertNotIn('perlver', res, "Perl should be filtered out")
+                self.assertEqual(res, expected)
 
         # also check result of template_constant_dict when dict representing extension is passed
         ext_dict = {