diff --git a/src/prop/cadical.cpp b/src/prop/cadical.cpp
index 401b428ed04..8fe0a032da0 100644
--- a/src/prop/cadical.cpp
+++ b/src/prop/cadical.cpp
@@ -1013,8 +1013,7 @@ CadicalSolver::CadicalSolver(Env& env,
 
 void CadicalSolver::init()
 {
-  d_true = newVar();
-  d_false = newVar();
+  d_solver->set("quiet", 1);  // CaDiCaL is verbose by default
 
   // walk and lucky phase do not use the external propagator, disable for now
   if (d_propagator)
@@ -1024,9 +1023,11 @@ void CadicalSolver::init()
     // ilb currently does not play well with user propagators
     d_solver->set("ilb", 0);
     d_solver->set("ilbassumptions", 0);
+    d_solver->connect_external_propagator(d_propagator.get());
   }
 
-  d_solver->set("quiet", 1);  // CaDiCaL is verbose by default
+  d_true = newVar();
+  d_false = newVar();
   d_solver->add(toCadicalVar(d_true));
   d_solver->add(0);
   d_solver->add(-toCadicalVar(d_false));
@@ -1238,7 +1239,6 @@ void CadicalSolver::initialize(context::Context* context,
   d_context = context;
   d_proxy = theoryProxy;
   d_propagator.reset(new CadicalPropagator(theoryProxy, context, *d_solver));
-  d_solver->connect_external_propagator(d_propagator.get());
   if (!d_env.getPlugins().empty())
   {
     d_clause_learner.reset(new ClauseLearner(*theoryProxy, 0));