diff --git a/HMC/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h b/HMC/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h
index 79dbe9c6..93c771d9 100644
--- a/HMC/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h
+++ b/HMC/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#ifndef BUILD_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
+#ifndef ENABLE_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
 #include <iostream>
 
 int main(void) {
diff --git a/benchmarks/disable_benchmarks_without_instantiations.h b/benchmarks/disable_benchmarks_without_instantiations.h
index c93fd0a9..42f688e4 100644
--- a/benchmarks/disable_benchmarks_without_instantiations.h
+++ b/benchmarks/disable_benchmarks_without_instantiations.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#ifndef BUILD_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
+#ifndef ENABLE_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
 #include <iostream>
 
 int main(void) {
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index dce70db1..1f3d9ddc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_ZMOBIUS, [ test "${ac_ZMOBIUS}X" == "yesX" ])
 case ${ac_FERMION_REPS} in
    yes) AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_FERMION_REPS],[1],[non QCD fermion reps]);;
 esac
+case ${ac_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS} in
+   yes) AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_FERMION_INSTANTIONS],[1],[enable fermions]);;
+esac
 case ${ac_GPARITY} in
    yes) AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_GPARITY],[1],[fermion actions with GPARITY BCs]);;
 esac
diff --git a/examples/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h b/examples/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h
index 79dbe9c6..93c771d9 100644
--- a/examples/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h
+++ b/examples/disable_examples_without_instantiations.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#ifndef BUILD_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
+#ifndef ENABLE_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
 #include <iostream>
 
 int main(void) {
diff --git a/tests/disable_tests_without_instantiations.h b/tests/disable_tests_without_instantiations.h
index dbc50d5b..03a6ea98 100644
--- a/tests/disable_tests_without_instantiations.h
+++ b/tests/disable_tests_without_instantiations.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#ifndef BUILD_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
+#ifndef ENABLE_FERMION_INSTANTIATIONS
 #include <iostream>
 
 int main(void) {