diff --git a/test_install/CMakeLists.txt b/test_install/CMakeLists.txt
index 13f10f6fa92..0e74a02ca8c 100644
--- a/test_install/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test_install/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ if(GINKGO_BUILD_CUDA)
     target_compile_options(test_install_cuda
         PRIVATE "$<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:CUDA>:${GINKGO_CUDA_ARCH_FLAGS}>")
     target_compile_definitions(test_install_cuda PRIVATE HAS_CUDA=1)
-    target_compile_definitions(test_install_cuda PRIVATE HAS_REFERENCE=1)
+    target_compile_definitions(test_install_cuda PRIVATE HAS_REFERENCE=${HAS_REFERENCE})
     target_link_libraries(test_install_cuda PRIVATE Ginkgo::ginkgo)
 endif()
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ if(GINKGO_BUILD_HIP)
 
     target_link_libraries(test_install_hip PRIVATE Ginkgo::ginkgo)
     target_compile_definitions(test_install_hip PRIVATE HAS_HIP=1)
-    target_compile_definitions(test_install_hip PRIVATE HAS_REFERENCE=1)
+    target_compile_definitions(test_install_hip PRIVATE HAS_REFERENCE=${HAS_REFERENCE})
 
     # If we always link with CXX there is no RPATH issue
     set_target_properties(test_install_hip PROPERTIES LINKER_LANGUAGE CXX)
diff --git a/test_install/test_install.cpp b/test_install/test_install.cpp
index 387630fc19d..2ccd9727bce 100644
--- a/test_install/test_install.cpp
+++ b/test_install/test_install.cpp
@@ -67,14 +67,18 @@ void check_spmv(std::shared_ptr<gko::Executor> exec,
     auto x_clone = gko::clone(x);
     test->read(A_raw);
     test->apply(b, gko::lend(x_clone));
+    // x_clone has the device result if using HIP or CUDA, otherwise it is
+    // reference only
 
 #if defined(HAS_HIP) || defined(HAS_CUDA)
+    // If we are on a device, we need to run a reference test to compare against
     auto exec_ref = exec->get_master();
     auto test_ref = Mtx::create(exec_ref);
     auto x_ref = gko::clone(exec_ref, x);
     test_ref->read(A_raw);
     test_ref->apply(b, gko::lend(x_ref));
 
+    // Actually check that `x_clone` is similar to `x_ref`
     auto x_clone_ref = gko::clone(exec_ref, gko::lend(x_clone));
     assert_similar_matrices(gko::lend(x_clone_ref), gko::lend(x_ref), 1e-14);
 #endif  // defined(HAS_HIP) || defined(HAS_CUDA)