diff --git a/src/waLBerlaDefinitions.in.h b/src/waLBerlaDefinitions.in.h
index bb9b6d029d80340f34342401a23d2f13e2356b7d..654eb55ab235a5a583099cdbcfedb46e1844297a 100644
--- a/src/waLBerlaDefinitions.in.h
+++ b/src/waLBerlaDefinitions.in.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #cmakedefine WALBERLA_USE_STD_ANY
 #cmakedefine WALBERLA_USE_STD_EXPERIMENTAL_OPTIONAL
 #cmakedefine WALBERLA_USE_STD_OPTIONAL
+#cmakedefine WALBERLA_USE_STD_VARIANT
 #cmakedefine WALBERLA_BUILD_WITH_BACKTRACE
 #ifdef WALBERLA_BUILD_WITH_BACKTRACE
 #define WALBERLA_BACKTRACE_HEADER "${Backtrace_HEADER}"
diff --git a/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
index fa77e164ac9f96f1ea9ef3d23c7e994363ff11a2..4d58647b8a563af3a86f01183f226136f835427f 100644
--- a/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -209,8 +209,10 @@ waLBerla_execute_test( NAME UNIQUEID PROCESSES 4)
 waLBerla_compile_test( FILES VersionTest.cpp )
 waLBerla_execute_test( NAME VersionTest )
 
-waLBerla_compile_test( FILES VariantTest )
-waLBerla_execute_test( NAME VariantTest )
+if( WALBERLA_BUILD_WITH_BOOST OR WALBERLA_USE_STD_VARIANT )
+  waLBerla_compile_test( FILES VariantTest )
+  waLBerla_execute_test( NAME VariantTest )
+endif()
 
 ##################
 # load_balancing #