diff --git a/lib/core-net/route.c b/lib/core-net/route.c
index 9fdbb7805..917443720 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/route.c
+++ b/lib/core-net/route.c
@@ -341,8 +341,12 @@ _lws_route_pt_close_unroutable(struct lws_context_per_thread *pt)
 	struct lws *wsi;
 	unsigned int n;
 
-	if (!pt->context->nl_initial_done ||
-	    pt->context->mgr_system.state < LWS_SYSTATE_IFACE_COLDPLUG)
+	if (!pt->context->nl_initial_done
+#if defined(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE)
+		       	||
+	    pt->context->mgr_system.state < LWS_SYSTATE_IFACE_COLDPLUG
+#endif
+	)
 		return 0;
 
 	lwsl_cx_debug(pt->context, "in");
diff --git a/lib/core/context.c b/lib/core/context.c
index d55ee5156..c517294a3 100644
--- a/lib/core/context.c
+++ b/lib/core/context.c
@@ -2085,10 +2085,10 @@ next:
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_NETWORK)
 		if (context->event_loop_ops->destroy_context2)
 			context->event_loop_ops->destroy_context2(context);
-
+#if defined(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE)
 		lws_state_transition_steps(&context->mgr_system,
 					   LWS_SYSTATE_CONTEXT_DESTROYING);
-
+#endif
 		/*
 		 * finalize destroy of pt and things hanging off it
 		 */
diff --git a/lib/roles/netlink/ops-netlink.c b/lib/roles/netlink/ops-netlink.c
index 6df2ceee8..bb3204839 100644
--- a/lib/roles/netlink/ops-netlink.c
+++ b/lib/roles/netlink/ops-netlink.c
@@ -49,9 +49,10 @@ lws_netlink_coldplug_done_cb(lws_sorted_usec_list_t *sul)
 	struct lws_context *ctx = lws_container_of(sul, struct lws_context,
 						   sul_nl_coldplug);
 	ctx->nl_initial_done = 1;
-
+#if defined(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE)
 	/* if nothing is there to intercept anything, go all the way */
 	lws_state_transition_steps(&ctx->mgr_system, LWS_SYSTATE_OPERATIONAL);
+#endif
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/minimal-examples/api-tests/api-test-lws_smd/CMakeLists.txt b/minimal-examples/api-tests/api-test-lws_smd/CMakeLists.txt
index b4d157d32..e2827064c 100644
--- a/minimal-examples/api-tests/api-test-lws_smd/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/minimal-examples/api-tests/api-test-lws_smd/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ include(LwsCheckRequirements)
 set(requirements 1)
 require_pthreads(requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SYS_SMD 1 requirements)
+require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE 1 requirements)
 
 if (requirements)
 	add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} main.c)
diff --git a/minimal-examples/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/CMakeLists.txt b/minimal-examples/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/CMakeLists.txt
index a4da9b9ce..22d138cc2 100644
--- a/minimal-examples/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/minimal-examples/http-client/minimal-http-client-multi/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set(MBEDTLS 0)
 require_lws_config(LWS_ROLE_H1 1 requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_CLIENT 1 requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_TLS 1 requirements)
+require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE 1 requirements)
 
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_MBEDTLS 1 MBEDTLS)
 
diff --git a/minimal-examples/secure-streams/minimal-secure-streams-client-tx/CMakeLists.txt b/minimal-examples/secure-streams/minimal-secure-streams-client-tx/CMakeLists.txt
index 272c8d9ca..1a943b939 100644
--- a/minimal-examples/secure-streams/minimal-secure-streams-client-tx/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/minimal-examples/secure-streams/minimal-secure-streams-client-tx/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require_lws_config(LWS_ROLE_H1 1 requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITHOUT_CLIENT 0 requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SECURE_STREAMS 1 requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SECURE_STREAMS_PROXY_API 1 requirements)
-
+require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE 1 requirements)
 
 if (requirements)
 	add_executable(${SAMP} ${SRCS})
diff --git a/minimal-examples/ws-server/minimal-ws-server-threads-smp/CMakeLists.txt b/minimal-examples/ws-server/minimal-ws-server-threads-smp/CMakeLists.txt
index 4fedb04d0..098a174e7 100644
--- a/minimal-examples/ws-server/minimal-ws-server-threads-smp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/minimal-examples/ws-server/minimal-ws-server-threads-smp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set(requirements 1)
 require_pthreads(requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_ROLE_WS 1 requirements)
 require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SERVER 1 requirements)
+require_lws_config(LWS_WITH_SYS_STATE 1 requirements)
 
 if (requirements)
 	add_executable(${SAMP} ${SRCS})