diff --git a/src/cell.c b/src/cell.c
index 3e3a8e6cc537f948a809c1a3ebf3cb18194fedd1..a54906d667dd312fd35a7584047113a45183b46c 100644
--- a/src/cell.c
+++ b/src/cell.c
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ void cell_check_multipole(struct cell *c, void *data) {
         error("Multipole CoM are different (%12.15e vs. %12.15e", ma.CoM[k],
               mb.CoM[k]);
 
+#if const_gravity_multipole_order >= 2
     if (fabsf(ma.I_xx - mb.I_xx) / fabsf(ma.I_xx + mb.I_xx) > 1e-5 &&
         ma.I_xx > 1e-9)
       error("Multipole I_xx are different (%12.15e vs. %12.15e)", ma.I_xx,
@@ -851,6 +852,7 @@ void cell_check_multipole(struct cell *c, void *data) {
         ma.I_yz > 1e-9)
       error("Multipole I_yz are different (%12.15e vs. %12.15e)", ma.I_yz,
             mb.I_yz);
+#endif
   }
 }