diff --git a/src/starter/Android.mk b/src/starter/Android.mk
index c37fc1aa6..8c5d1a92f 100644
--- a/src/starter/Android.mk
+++ b/src/starter/Android.mk
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ LOCAL_C_INCLUDES += \
 	$(strongswan_PATH)/src/starter \
 	$(strongswan_PATH)/src/stroke
 
-LOCAL_CFLAGS := $(strongswan_CFLAGS) -DSTART_CHARON \
+LOCAL_CFLAGS := $(strongswan_CFLAGS) \
 	-DIPSEC_SCRIPT='"ipsec"' \
 	-DPLUGINS='"$(strongswan_STARTER_PLUGINS)"'
 
diff --git a/src/starter/Makefile.am b/src/starter/Makefile.am
index f0a2be856..7f5d1ca5b 100644
--- a/src/starter/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/starter/Makefile.am
@@ -40,10 +40,6 @@ EXTRA_DIST = keywords.txt ipsec.conf Android.mk
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = keywords.c
 BUILT_SOURCES = keywords.c parser/parser.h
 
-if USE_CHARON
-  AM_CPPFLAGS += -DSTART_CHARON
-endif
-
 if USE_LOAD_WARNING
   AM_CPPFLAGS += -DLOAD_WARNING
 endif
diff --git a/src/starter/confread.c b/src/starter/confread.c
index de9099a1b..3943f9abe 100644
--- a/src/starter/confread.c
+++ b/src/starter/confread.c
@@ -149,12 +149,8 @@ static void load_setup(starter_config_t *cfg, conf_parser_t *parser)
 	dict->destroy(dict);
 
 	/* verify the executables are actually available */
-#ifdef START_CHARON
 	cfg->setup.charonstart = cfg->setup.charonstart &&
 							 daemon_exists(daemon_name, cmd);
-#else
-	cfg->setup.charonstart = FALSE;
-#endif
 }
 
 /*
@@ -722,12 +718,9 @@ starter_config_t* confread_load(const char *file)
 	INIT(cfg,
 		.setup = {
 			.uniqueids = TRUE,
-
+			.charonstart = TRUE,
 		}
 	);
-#ifdef START_CHARON
-	cfg->setup.charonstart = TRUE;
-#endif
 
 	/* load config setup section */
 	load_setup(cfg, parser);