diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4ea5d208cf25..b0aa922ed38a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ option(USE_OPENCL "Use OpenCL support." ON)
 option(USE_GRAPHICSMAGICK "Use GraphicsMagick library for image import." ON)
 option(USE_DARKTABLE_PROFILING OFF)
 option(CUSTOM_CFLAGS "Don't override compiler optimization flags." OFF)
-option(DONT_USE_RAWSPEED "Don't compile rawspeed back-end." OFF)
 option(BUILD_USERMANUAL "Build all the versions of the usermanual." OFF)
 option(BINARY_PACKAGE_BUILD "Sets march optimization to generic" OFF)
 option(APRIL_FOOLS "Add the \"file manager\" (a shell) to lighttable mode" OFF)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 20569d870f27..bc3263a9e67f 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -495,16 +495,13 @@ add_subdirectory(external/LibRaw)
 list(APPEND LIB_DEPS libraw_r)
 list(APPEND STATIC_LIBS libraw_static)
 
-# same for librawspeed (can switch it off with -DDONT_USE_RAWSPEED, for macs):
-if(NOT DONT_USE_RAWSPEED)
-  add_definitions("-DHAVE_RAWSPEED")
-  add_library(rawspeed_static STATIC IMPORTED)
-  set_target_properties(rawspeed_static PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/external/rawspeed/librawspeed.a)
-  # compile rawspeed
-  add_subdirectory(external/rawspeed)
-  list(APPEND LIB_DEPS rawspeed)
-  list(APPEND STATIC_LIBS rawspeed_static)
-endif(NOT DONT_USE_RAWSPEED)
+# same for librawspeed
+add_library(rawspeed_static STATIC IMPORTED)
+set_target_properties(rawspeed_static PROPERTIES IMPORTED_LOCATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/external/rawspeed/librawspeed.a)
+# compile rawspeed
+add_subdirectory(external/rawspeed)
+list(APPEND LIB_DEPS rawspeed)
+list(APPEND STATIC_LIBS rawspeed_static)
 
 # osm gps map library
 if(USE_GEO)
diff --git a/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.cc b/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.cc
index 776746b4c69c..493118a801ca 100644
--- a/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.cc
+++ b/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.cc
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with darktable.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
-#ifdef HAVE_RAWSPEED
 #ifdef _OPENMP
 #include <omp.h>
 #endif
@@ -284,8 +283,6 @@ dt_imageio_retval_t dt_imageio_open_rawspeed_sraw(dt_image_t *img, RawImage r, d
   return DT_IMAGEIO_OK;
 }
 
-#endif
-
 // modelines: These editor modelines have been set for all relevant files by tools/update_modelines.sh
 // vim: shiftwidth=2 expandtab tabstop=2 cindent
 // kate: tab-indents: off; indent-width 2; replace-tabs on; indent-mode cstyle; remove-trailing-space on;
diff --git a/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.h b/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.h
index 39f7b2d621d6..7a0221507c86 100644
--- a/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.h
+++ b/src/common/imageio_rawspeed.h
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with darktable.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
-#ifdef HAVE_RAWSPEED
 #ifndef DT_IMAGEIO_RAWSPEED_H
 #define DT_IMAGEIO_RAWSPEED_H
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ dt_imageio_retval_t dt_imageio_open_rawspeed(dt_image_t *img, const char *filena
 }
 #endif
 #endif
-#endif
 // modelines: These editor modelines have been set for all relevant files by tools/update_modelines.sh
 // vim: shiftwidth=2 expandtab tabstop=2 cindent
 // kate: tab-indents: off; indent-width 2; replace-tabs on; indent-mode cstyle; remove-trailing-space on;