diff --git a/include/oneapi/mkl/detail/backends_table.hpp b/include/oneapi/mkl/detail/backends_table.hpp
index 418f91131..b385b21b0 100644
--- a/include/oneapi/mkl/detail/backends_table.hpp
+++ b/include/oneapi/mkl/detail/backends_table.hpp
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ static std::map<domain, std::map<device, std::vector<const char*>>> libraries =
           } },
         { device::generic_device,
           {
+#ifdef ENABLE_PORTBLAS_BACKEND
               LIB_NAME("blas_portblas"),
+#endif
           } } } },
 
     { domain::dft,
diff --git a/src/include/function_table_initializer.hpp b/src/include/function_table_initializer.hpp
index 953226c3e..880035759 100644
--- a/src/include/function_table_initializer.hpp
+++ b/src/include/function_table_initializer.hpp
@@ -99,13 +99,17 @@ class table_initializer {
                 break;
         }
         if (!handle) {
+#ifndef ENABLE_PORTBLAS_BACKEND
             if (key == oneapi::mkl::device::generic_device) {
                 throw mkl::unsupported_device("", "", q.get_device());
             }
             else {
+#endif
                 std::cerr << ERROR_MSG << '\n';
                 throw mkl::backend_not_found();
+#ifndef ENABLE_PORTBLAS_BACKEND
             }
+#endif
         }
         auto t =
             reinterpret_cast<function_table_t *>(::GET_FUNC(handle.get(), table_names[domain_id]));