diff --git a/src/pystencils/codegen/config.py b/src/pystencils/codegen/config.py
index 8e7e54ff1125a8bba2ba35c223277ee2867c28b7..295289ac01dd5d204101f8734fd27caf43ddebba 100644
--- a/src/pystencils/codegen/config.py
+++ b/src/pystencils/codegen/config.py
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ class CreateKernelConfig(ConfigBase):
         if cpu_vectorize_info is not None:
             _deprecated_option("cpu_vectorize_info", "cpu_optim.vectorize")
             if "instruction_set" in cpu_vectorize_info:
-                if self.target != Target.GenericCPU:
+                if self.target is not None and self.target != Target.GenericCPU:
                     raise ValueError(
                         "Setting 'instruction_set' in the deprecated 'cpu_vectorize_info' option is only "
                         "valid if `target == Target.CPU`."