diff --git a/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt b/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt
index f3a05ab5c9e..62cfb1b2538 100644
--- a/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ function(ginkgo_benchmark_hipsp_linops name)
     target_compile_definitions("${name}" PRIVATE HAS_HIP=1)
     EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${HIP_PATH}/bin/hipconfig --cpp_config OUTPUT_VARIABLE HIP_CXX_FLAGS)
     set_target_properties("${name}" PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS ${HIP_CXX_FLAGS})
+    # use Thrust C++ device just for compilation, we don't use thrust::complex in the benchmarks
+    target_compile_definitions("${name}" PUBLIC -DTHRUST_DEVICE_SYSTEM=THRUST_DEVICE_SYSTEM_CPP)
     # for some reason, HIP creates a dependency on Threads::Threads here, so we
     # need to find it
     find_package(Threads REQUIRED)