diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_enum.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_enum.c
index bea61adc651..a6d89da5f20 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_enum.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var_enum.c
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ int mca_base_var_enum_create_flag(const char *name, const mca_base_var_enum_valu
 {
     mca_base_var_enum_flag_t *new_enum;
     int i;
+    int __opal_attribute_unused__ all_flags = 0;
 
     *enumerator = NULL;
 
@@ -460,8 +461,6 @@ int mca_base_var_enum_create_flag(const char *name, const mca_base_var_enum_valu
         return OPAL_ERR_OUT_OF_RESOURCE;
     }
 
-#if OPAL_ENABLE_DEBUG
-    int all_flags = 0;
     for (i = 0; i < new_enum->super.enum_value_count; ++i) {
         new_enum->enum_flags[i].flag = flags[i].flag;
         new_enum->enum_flags[i].string = strdup(flags[i].string);
@@ -474,7 +473,6 @@ int mca_base_var_enum_create_flag(const char *name, const mca_base_var_enum_valu
         assert(flags[i].flag);
         all_flags |= flags[i].flag;
     }
-#endif
 
     *enumerator = new_enum;