diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
index d0f67243cf..4134fed597 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/KOKKOS.cmake
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ if(PKG_KOKKOS)
   else()
     set(LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_SRC_DIR ${LAMMPS_LIB_SOURCE_DIR}/kokkos)
     set(LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_BIN_DIR ${LAMMPS_LIB_BINARY_DIR}/kokkos)
-    add_definitions(-DLMP_KOKKOS)
     add_subdirectory(${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_SRC_DIR} ${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_BIN_DIR})
   
     set(Kokkos_INCLUDE_DIRS ${LAMMPS_LIB_KOKKOS_SRC_DIR}/core/src
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ if(PKG_KOKKOS)
     include_directories(${Kokkos_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     list(APPEND LAMMPS_LINK_LIBS kokkos)
   endif()
+  add_definitions(-DLMP_KOKKOS)
 
   set(KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES_DIR ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/KOKKOS)
   set(KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES ${KOKKOS_PKG_SOURCES_DIR}/kokkos.cpp