diff --git a/src/blsct/arith/mcl/mcl_init.h b/src/blsct/arith/mcl/mcl_init.h
index 76132cba7b50b6..f1f27b98a8c1a2 100644
--- a/src/blsct/arith/mcl/mcl_init.h
+++ b/src/blsct/arith/mcl/mcl_init.h
@@ -35,7 +35,13 @@ class MclInit
         static bool is_initialized = false;
         if (is_initialized) return;
 
-        if (blsInit(MCL_BLS12_381, MCLBN_COMPILED_TIME_VAR) != 0) {
+#ifndef MCLBN_COMPILED_TIME_VAR
+        int compiledTimeVar = 0;
+#else
+        int compiledTimeVar = MCLBN_COMPILED_TIME_VAR;
+#endif
+
+        if (blsInit(MCL_BLS12_381, compiledTimeVar) != 0) {
             throw std::runtime_error("blsInit failed");
         }
         mclBn_setETHserialization(1);