diff --git a/tests/sys/Makefile b/tests/sys/Makefile
index 24559d4c19f9..168a48e17447 100644
--- a/tests/sys/Makefile
+++ b/tests/sys/Makefile
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ TESTS_SUBDIRS+=		vmm
 # during cleanup. They start and stop a new auditd for every test CASE which
 # takes a really long time on QEMU. In the latest jenkins run these tests took
 # 9.5 hours to run! Skip them until we can run them at a reasonable speed.
-.if ${MK_AUDIT} != "no" && ${MK_CHERI} == "no"
+.if ${MK_AUDIT} != "no" && ${MACHINE_CPU:Mcheri}
 _audit=	audit
 .endif