diff --git a/matlab/evaluate_steady_state_file.m b/matlab/evaluate_steady_state_file.m
index 4b6bfdc70..ee312d881 100644
--- a/matlab/evaluate_steady_state_file.m
+++ b/matlab/evaluate_steady_state_file.m
@@ -66,13 +66,7 @@ else
     updated_params_flag = 0;
 end
 
-if M.set_auxiliary_variables
-    % Define function handle for the function setting the auxiliary
-    % variables only if the model has auxiliary variables. Otherwise
-    % Octave may crash (see https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?52568) because
-    % the function does not exist in the path.
-    h_set_auxiliary_variables = str2func([M.fname '.set_auxiliary_variables']);
-end
+h_set_auxiliary_variables = str2func([M.fname '.set_auxiliary_variables']);
 
 if  isnan(updated_params_flag) || (updated_params_flag  && any(isnan(params(~isnan(params))-params1(~isnan(params))))) %checks if new NaNs were added
     info(1) = 24;