diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-metalium/ggml-metalium.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-metalium/ggml-metalium.cpp
index f762f0709d7f5..d4f300fe0dc95 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-metalium/ggml-metalium.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-metalium/ggml-metalium.cpp
@@ -2347,14 +2347,13 @@ static std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ggml_backend_device>> g_backend_device_holder
 static std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ggml_backend_metalium_device_context>> g_backend_device_context_holder;
 GGML_API ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_metalium_reg()
 {
-    if(getenv("TT_METAL_HOME") == NULL || getenv("ARCH_NAME") == NULL) {
-        tt::log_fatal(tt::LogType::LogAlways, "TT_METAL_HOME and ARCH_NAME environment variables must be set to use the Metalium backend");
-        abort();
-    }
-
     static ggml_backend_reg reg;
     static std::once_flag once;
     std::call_once(once, [&]() {
+        if(getenv("TT_METAL_HOME") == NULL || getenv("ARCH_NAME") == NULL) {
+            tt::log_fatal(tt::LogType::LogAlways, "TT_METAL_HOME and ARCH_NAME environment variables must be set to use the Metalium backend");
+            abort();
+        }
         tt::tt_metal::detail::EnablePersistentKernelCache();
         // TODO: Support multiple devices (TT supports mesh configuration so it's going to be tricky)
         // but for now we just work on 1 device at a time
diff --git a/tests/test-metalium.cpp b/tests/test-metalium.cpp
index 1c4c28a3bd591..c7e0ceb0bad4b 100644
--- a/tests/test-metalium.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-metalium.cpp
@@ -320,12 +320,10 @@ int main()
 
     ggml_backend_t metalium = NULL;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < ggml_backend_reg_count(); i++) {
-        ggml_backend_reg_t reg = ggml_backend_reg_get(i);
-        if (std::strcmp(ggml_backend_reg_name(reg), "Metalium") == 0) {
-            ggml_backend_reg_t reg = ggml_backend_reg_get(i);
-            metalium = ggml_backend_dev_init(ggml_backend_reg_dev_get(reg, 0), NULL);
-            break;
-        }
+        ggml_backend_reg_t reg = ggml_backend_reg_by_name("Metalium");
+        GGML_ASSERT(ggml_backend_reg_dev_count(reg) > 0);
+        metalium = ggml_backend_dev_init(ggml_backend_reg_dev_get(reg, 0), NULL);
+        break;
     }
     if(metalium == NULL) {
         printf("Cannot find Metalium backend\n");