diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/ML-IAP.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/ML-IAP.cmake
index a9c447d8c1..91b772efb5 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/ML-IAP.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/ML-IAP.cmake
@@ -10,13 +10,12 @@ endif()
 
 option(MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON "Build ML-IAP package with Python support" ${MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON_DEFAULT})
 
-# if ML-PACE package is included we may also include ML-PACE support in ML-IAP
+# if ML-PACE package *and* MLIAP with Python is enabled is included we may also include ML-PACE support in ML-IAP
 set(MLIAP_ENABLE_ACE_DEFAULT OFF)
 if(PKG_ML-PACE)
-  set(MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON_DEFAULT ON)
+  set(MLIAP_ENABLE_ACE_DEFAULT ON)
 endif()
 
-option(MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON "Build ML-IAP package with Python support" ${MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON_DEFAULT})
 option(MLIAP_ENABLE_ACE "Build ML-IAP package with ACE support" ${MLIAP_ENABLE_ACE_DEFAULT})
 
 if(MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON)
@@ -28,12 +27,6 @@ if(MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON)
   if(Python_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.6)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Python support in ML-IAP requires Python 3.6 or later")
   endif()
-  if(MLIAP_ENABLE_ACE)
-    if(NOT PKG_ML-PACE)
-      message(FATAL_ERROR "Must enable PYTHON package and ML-PACE package for including ACE support in ML-IAP")
-    endif()
-    target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DMLIAP_ACE)
-  endif()
 
   set(MLIAP_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/cython)
   file(GLOB MLIAP_CYTHON_SRC CONFIGURE_DEPENDS ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/ML-IAP/*.pyx)
@@ -51,3 +44,10 @@ if(MLIAP_ENABLE_PYTHON)
   target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DMLIAP_PYTHON)
   target_include_directories(lammps PRIVATE ${MLIAP_BINARY_DIR})
 endif()
+
+if(MLIAP_ENABLE_ACE)
+  if(NOT PKG_ML-PACE)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Must enable ML-PACE package for including ACE support in ML-IAP")
+  endif()
+  target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DMLIAP_ACE)
+endif()