diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e73b1baf3815e..d8c1c79e8cba0 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ if USE_BENCHMARK
 noinst_PROGRAMS += bench_verify bench_sign bench_internal bench_ecmult
 bench_verify_SOURCES = src/bench_verify.c
 bench_verify_LDADD = libsecp256k1.la $(SECP_LIBS) $(SECP_TEST_LIBS) $(COMMON_LIB)
+# SECP_TEST_INCLUDES are only used here for CRYPTO_CPPFLAGS
+bench_verify_CPPFLAGS = -DSECP256K1_BUILD $(SECP_TEST_INCLUDES)
 bench_sign_SOURCES = src/bench_sign.c
 bench_sign_LDADD = libsecp256k1.la $(SECP_LIBS) $(SECP_TEST_LIBS) $(COMMON_LIB)
 bench_internal_SOURCES = src/bench_internal.c