diff --git a/integration-tests/environments/react-native/ios/Podfile b/integration-tests/environments/react-native/ios/Podfile
index ea249d594aa..65db2b71bd2 100644
--- a/integration-tests/environments/react-native/ios/Podfile
+++ b/integration-tests/environments/react-native/ios/Podfile
@@ -66,12 +66,6 @@ target 'RealmReactNativeTests' do
           # Applying https://github.com/facebook/folly/issues/1470#issuecomment-943123653
           config.build_settings['GCC_PREPROCESSOR_DEFINITIONS'] ||= ['$(inherited)', 'FOLLY_HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME=1']
         end
-
-        if target.name == "RealmJS"
-          target.build_configurations.each do |config|
-            config.build_settings['BUILD_CORE'] = 'true'
-          end
-        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/packages/realm/RealmJS.podspec b/packages/realm/RealmJS.podspec
index b34c53fa62d..ea5ae4f1c39 100644
--- a/packages/realm/RealmJS.podspec
+++ b/packages/realm/RealmJS.podspec
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ package = JSON.parse(File.read(File.expand_path('package.json', __dir__)))
 
 app_path = File.expand_path('../..', __dir__)
 
+build_realm_core = ENV["BUILD_REALM_CORE"] == "1"
+
 # There is no API to detect the use of "use_frameworks!" in the Podfile which depends on this Podspec.
 # The "React" framework is only available and should be used if the Podfile calls use_frameworks!
 # Therefore we make an assumption on the location of the Podfile and check if it contains "use_frameworks!" ...
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@ Pod::Spec.new do |s|
     :input_file_lists => ["#{__dir__}/react-native/ios/input-files.xcfilelist"],
     :output_file_lists => ["#{__dir__}/react-native/ios/output-files.xcfilelist"],
     :script => <<-EOS
+    BUILD_REALM_CORE="#{build_realm_core ? '1' : '0'}"
     CMAKE_PATH="#{CMAKE_PATH}"
     source "#{__dir__}/scripts/generate-ios-libs.sh"
     EOS
diff --git a/packages/realm/scripts/generate-ios-libs.sh b/packages/realm/scripts/generate-ios-libs.sh
index 19b6f14e906..e339c333920 100755
--- a/packages/realm/scripts/generate-ios-libs.sh
+++ b/packages/realm/scripts/generate-ios-libs.sh
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ CDN_URL="https://static.realm.io/downloads/core/v$CORE_VERSION/$PLATFORM_NAME/Re
 # Check if URL is valid and reachable
 if ! curl --output /dev/null --silent --head --fail "$CDN_URL"; then
     echo "URL $CDN_URL is not valid or reachable."
-    BUILD_CORE = "true"
+    BUILD_REALM_CORE = "1"
 fi
 
-if $BUILD_CORE == "true"; then
+if [ "$BUILD_REALM_CORE" == "1" ]; then
     echo "Building realm-core..."
     pushd $PROJECT_ROOT/bindgen/vendor/realm-core
     ./tools/build-apple-device.sh -p $PLATFORM_NAME -c $CONFIGURATION