diff --git a/src/cluster/cluster.cpp b/src/cluster/cluster.cpp
index e31bcbd4280f31ba295425853b5dd0987c1609a5..17889133143a53587fdfcdccc63dfaa8563529de 100644
--- a/src/cluster/cluster.cpp
+++ b/src/cluster/cluster.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ void cluster(const string& config_file, const string& data_file, const string& o
     delete logger;
     return;
   }
+#else
+  int *devices = new int[1];
+  devices[0] = -1;
 #endif
   // the following only happens on MPI process 0
   if (mpidata->rank == 0) {