diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f34ec85883d6..aaffb9842ba9 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -67,9 +67,13 @@ get-monolite-latest:
 	cd $(mcslib) && { (wget -O- $(monolite_url) || curl $(monolite_url)) | gzip -d | tar xf - ; }
 	cd $(mcslib) && mv -f monolite-* monolite
 
+if BITCODE
+BITCODE_CHECK=yes
+endif
+
 .PHONY: check-ci
 check-ci:
-	MONO_LLVMONLY=$(BITCODE) $(srcdir)/scripts/ci/run-test-$(TEST_PROFILE).sh
+	MONO_LLVMONLY=$(BITCODE_CHECK) $(srcdir)/scripts/ci/run-test-$(TEST_PROFILE).sh
 
 .PHONY: validate do-build-mono-mcs mcs-do-clean mcs-do-tests
 validate: do-build-mono-mcs
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 27234cf592d5..b4ac2f5f28b3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -892,11 +892,6 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(INSTALL_MOBILE_STATIC, [test "x$with_mobile_static" != "xno"])
 
 AC_SUBST(INSTALL_MOBILE_STATIC)
 
-AM_COND_IF(BITCODE, [
-	BITCODE=TRUE
-	AC_SUBST(BITCODE)
-])
-
 default_profile=net_4_x
 if test -z "$INSTALL_MONODROID_TRUE"; then :
    default_profile=monodroid