diff --git a/mlx/backend/cpu/compiled.cpp b/mlx/backend/cpu/compiled.cpp
index 9da9c14e8..e389e0df5 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/cpu/compiled.cpp
+++ b/mlx/backend/cpu/compiled.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ struct CompilerCache {
   std::shared_mutex mtx;
 };
 
-static CompilerCache cache{};
+static CompilerCache& cache() {
+  static CompilerCache cache_;
+  return cache_;
+};
 
 // GPU compile is always available if the GPU is available and since we are in
 // this file CPU compile is also available.
@@ -56,14 +59,16 @@ void* compile(
     const std::string& kernel_name,
     const std::function<std::string(void)>& source_builder) {
   {
-    std::shared_lock lock(cache.mtx);
-    if (auto it = cache.kernels.find(kernel_name); it != cache.kernels.end()) {
+    std::shared_lock lock(cache().mtx);
+    if (auto it = cache().kernels.find(kernel_name);
+        it != cache().kernels.end()) {
       return it->second;
     }
   }
 
-  std::unique_lock lock(cache.mtx);
-  if (auto it = cache.kernels.find(kernel_name); it != cache.kernels.end()) {
+  std::unique_lock lock(cache().mtx);
+  if (auto it = cache().kernels.find(kernel_name);
+      it != cache().kernels.end()) {
     return it->second;
   }
   std::string source_code = source_builder();
@@ -120,10 +125,10 @@ void* compile(
   }
 
   // load library
-  cache.libs.emplace_back(shared_lib_path);
+  cache().libs.emplace_back(shared_lib_path);
 
   // Load function
-  void* fun = dlsym(cache.libs.back().lib, kernel_name.c_str());
+  void* fun = dlsym(cache().libs.back().lib, kernel_name.c_str());
   if (!fun) {
     std::ostringstream msg;
     msg << "[Compile::eval_cpu] Failed to load compiled function "
@@ -131,7 +136,7 @@ void* compile(
         << dlerror();
     throw std::runtime_error(msg.str());
   }
-  cache.kernels.insert({kernel_name, fun});
+  cache().kernels.insert({kernel_name, fun});
   return fun;
 }