diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 4cdc39bf21..0521170545 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -836,11 +836,9 @@ int __attribute__((used)) main(void) {
     // Start the debug serial
     serial_early_init();
 
-    #if CIRCUITPY_EXTERNAL_FLASH_SETUP
     // Set up anything that might need to get done before we try to use SPI flash
     // This is needed for some boards where flash relies on GPIO setup to work
     external_flash_setup();
-    #endif
 
     // Create a new filesystem only if we're not in a safe mode.
     // A power brownout here could make it appear as if there's
@@ -984,3 +982,6 @@ void MP_WEAK __assert_func(const char *file, int line, const char *func, const c
     __fatal_error("Assertion failed");
 }
 #endif
+
+void MP_WEAK external_flash_setup(void) {
+}
diff --git a/ports/atmel-samd/boards/sparkfun_samd51_micromod/mpconfigboard.mk b/ports/atmel-samd/boards/sparkfun_samd51_micromod/mpconfigboard.mk
index 6903219184..026a1978c3 100644
--- a/ports/atmel-samd/boards/sparkfun_samd51_micromod/mpconfigboard.mk
+++ b/ports/atmel-samd/boards/sparkfun_samd51_micromod/mpconfigboard.mk
@@ -13,4 +13,3 @@ EXTERNAL_FLASH_DEVICES = W25Q128JVxM
 LONGINT_IMPL = MPZ
 
 CIRCUITPY_PS2IO = 1
-CIRCUITPY_EXTERNAL_FLASH_SETUP = 1
diff --git a/py/circuitpy_mpconfig.mk b/py/circuitpy_mpconfig.mk
index 80625a2cae..535bd2f698 100644
--- a/py/circuitpy_mpconfig.mk
+++ b/py/circuitpy_mpconfig.mk
@@ -49,10 +49,6 @@ CFLAGS += -DMICROPY_PY_USELECT=$(MICROPY_PY_USELECT)
 MICROPY_PY_USELECT_SELECT ?= $(MICROPY_PY_USELECT)
 CFLAGS += -DMICROPY_PY_USELECT_SELECT=$(MICROPY_PY_USELECT_SELECT)
 
-# enable pre-flash GPIO setup
-CIRCUITPY_EXTERNAL_FLASH_SETUP ?= 0
-CFLAGS += -DCIRCUITPY_EXTERNAL_FLASH_SETUP=$(CIRCUITPY_EXTERNAL_FLASH_SETUP)
-
 CIRCUITPY_AESIO ?= $(CIRCUITPY_FULL_BUILD)
 CFLAGS += -DCIRCUITPY_AESIO=$(CIRCUITPY_AESIO)