diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ee96cf7..0e19bba 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -211,9 +211,6 @@ function(use_townengine target sources output_directory data_dir)
 
                 # launcher binary, loads game and engine shared library
                 add_executable(${target}_app ${TOWNENGINE_ROOT_DIR}/townengine/null.c)
-                set_target_properties(${target}_app PROPERTIES
-                                                    OUTPUT_NAME launcher
-                                                    LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
 
                 # put libtownengine.so alongside the binary
                 set_target_properties(${TOWNENGINE_TARGET} PROPERTIES
@@ -222,6 +219,10 @@ function(use_townengine target sources output_directory data_dir)
                 add_executable(${target}_app ${sources})
         endif ()
 
+        set_target_properties(${target}_app PROPERTIES
+                                            OUTPUT_NAME launcher
+                                            LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${output_directory})
+
         # system libraries
         find_library(MATH_LIBRARY m)
         if (MATH_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/townengine/main.c b/townengine/main.c
index fda32fc..a2d9840 100644
--- a/townengine/main.c
+++ b/townengine/main.c
@@ -478,6 +478,10 @@ static void hot_reload_callback(XWATCHER_FILE_EVENT event,
     }
 }
 
+#else
+
+static void load_game_shared_object(void) {}
+
 #endif