diff --git a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/AP_IOMCU.cpp b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/AP_IOMCU.cpp
index bfefb6c253..4a9575b555 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_IOMCU/AP_IOMCU.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_IOMCU/AP_IOMCU.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.h>
 #include <AP_Logger/AP_Logger.h>
 #include <AP_Arming/AP_Arming.h>
+#include <AP_BLHeli/AP_BLHeli.h>
 #include <ch.h>
 
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL &hal;
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ void AP_IOMCU::thread_main(void)
     uart.begin(1500*1000, 128, 128);
     uart.set_unbuffered_writes(true);
 
-#if HAL_WITH_IO_MCU_BIDIR_DSHOT
+#if HAVE_AP_BLHELI_SUPPORT && HAL_WITH_IO_MCU_BIDIR_DSHOT
     AP_BLHeli* blh = AP_BLHeli::get_singleton();
     uint16_t erpm_period_ms = 10; // default 100Hz
     if (blh && blh->get_telemetry_rate() > 0) {
@@ -318,7 +319,7 @@ void AP_IOMCU::thread_main(void)
             read_servo();
             last_servo_read_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
         }
-#if HAL_WITH_IO_MCU_BIDIR_DSHOT
+#if HAVE_AP_BLHELI_SUPPORT && HAL_WITH_IO_MCU_BIDIR_DSHOT
         if (AP_BoardConfig::io_dshot() && now - last_erpm_read_ms > erpm_period_ms) {
             // read erpm at configured rate. A more efficient scheme might be to 
             // send erpm info back with the response from a PWM send, but that would
@@ -398,7 +399,7 @@ void AP_IOMCU::read_rc_input()
     }
 }
 
-#if HAL_WITH_IO_MCU_BIDIR_DSHOT
+#if HAVE_AP_BLHELI_SUPPORT && HAL_WITH_IO_MCU_BIDIR_DSHOT
 /*
   read dshot erpm
  */