diff --git a/src/cpu/testers/garnet_synthetic_traffic/SConscript b/src/cpu/testers/garnet_synthetic_traffic/SConscript
index f1624b0..8fe4def 100644
--- a/src/cpu/testers/garnet_synthetic_traffic/SConscript
+++ b/src/cpu/testers/garnet_synthetic_traffic/SConscript
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 
 Import('*')
 
+if env['PROTOCOL'] == 'None':
+    Return()
+
 SimObject('GarnetSyntheticTraffic.py')
 
 Source('GarnetSyntheticTraffic.cc')
diff --git a/src/mem/ruby/SConscript b/src/mem/ruby/SConscript
index 64e798f..be52c02 100644
--- a/src/mem/ruby/SConscript
+++ b/src/mem/ruby/SConscript
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
 
 Import('*')
 
+if env['PROTOCOL'] == 'None':
+    Return()
+
 DebugFlag('ProtocolTrace')
 DebugFlag('RubyCache')
 DebugFlag('RubyCacheTrace')
@@ -62,9 +65,6 @@
     'RubyDma', 'RubyPort', 'RubySequencer', 'RubyCacheTrace',
     'RubyPrefetcher'])
 
-if env['PROTOCOL'] == 'None':
-    Return()
-
 def do_embed_text(target, source, env):
     """convert a text file into a file that can be embedded in C
     using an #include statement, that defines a \"const char *\" pointing