diff --git a/run_tests.py b/run_tests.py
index 2f243e3a..5c82c8ca 100755
--- a/run_tests.py
+++ b/run_tests.py
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ if not is_windows:
 else:
     ispc_exe = "../Release/ispc.exe"
 
+# checks the required ispc compiler otherwise prints an error message
+if not os.path.exists(ispc_exe):
+	sys.stderr.write("Fatal error: missing the required ispc compiler \n")
+	sys.exit()
+
 ispc_exe += " " + options.ispc_flags
 
 print ispc_exe
@@ -89,26 +94,20 @@ if options.compiler_exe == None:
     else:
         options.compiler_exe = "g++"
 
-# checks the required compiler and ispc_exe otherwise prints an error message
+# checks the required compiler otherwise prints an error message
 PATH_dir = string.split(os.getenv("PATH"), os.pathsep) 
 compiler_exists = False
-ispc_exists = False
 
 for counter in PATH_dir:
 	if os.path.exists(counter + os.sep + options.compiler_exe):
 		compiler_exists = True
-	if (os.path.exists(counter + os.sep + "ispc") or os.path.exists(counter + os.sep + "ispc.exe")):
-		ispc_exists = True
+		break
 
 if not compiler_exists:
 	sys.stderr.write("Fatal error: missing the required compiler: %s \n" % 
 		options.compiler_exe)
 	sys.exit()
 
-if not ispc_exists:
-	sys.stderr.write("Fatal error: missing the required ispc_exe \n")
-	sys.exit()
-
 def fix_windows_paths(files):
     ret = [ ]
     for fn in files: