diff --git a/palace/cmake/PkgConfigHelpers.cmake b/palace/cmake/PkgConfigHelpers.cmake
index 0bb9b88e6..152c112f1 100644
--- a/palace/cmake/PkgConfigHelpers.cmake
+++ b/palace/cmake/PkgConfigHelpers.cmake
@@ -51,18 +51,14 @@ int main()
   return 0;
 }
 ")
-  try_run(
-    LIBCEED_TEST_EXITCODE
+  try_compile(
     LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILED
-    ${LIBCEED_LIB_TEST_DIR}
-    ${LIBCEED_LIB_TEST_CPP}
+    SOURCES ${LIBCEED_LIB_TEST_CPP}
     LINK_LIBRARIES ${_libceed_target}
-    COMPILE_OUTPUT_VARIABLE LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILE_OUTPUT
-    RUN_OUTPUT_VARIABLE LIBCEED_TEST_OUTPUT
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILE_OUTPUT
   )
   # message(STATUS "LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILE_OUTPUT: ${LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILE_OUTPUT}")
-  # message(STATUS "LIBCEED_TEST_OUTPUT: ${LIBCEED_TEST_OUTPUT}")
-  if(LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILED AND LIBCEED_TEST_EXITCODE EQUAL 0)
+  if(LIBCEED_TEST_COMPILED)
     # message(STATUS "libCEED test program - Successful")
     set(${_libceed_test_success} TRUE PARENT_SCOPE)
   else()
@@ -128,8 +124,7 @@ int main()
   try_run(
     PETSC_TEST_EXITCODE
     PETSC_TEST_COMPILED
-    ${PETSC_LIB_TEST_DIR}
-    ${PETSC_LIB_TEST_CPP}
+    SOURCES ${PETSC_LIB_TEST_CPP}
     LINK_LIBRARIES ${_petsc_target}
     COMPILE_OUTPUT_VARIABLE PETSC_TEST_COMPILE_OUTPUT
     RUN_OUTPUT_VARIABLE PETSC_TEST_OUTPUT
@@ -208,8 +203,7 @@ int main()
   try_run(
     SLEPC_TEST_EXITCODE
     SLEPC_TEST_COMPILED
-    ${SLEPC_LIB_TEST_DIR}
-    ${SLEPC_LIB_TEST_CPP}
+    SOURCES ${SLEPC_LIB_TEST_CPP}
     LINK_LIBRARIES ${_slepc_target}
     COMPILE_OUTPUT_VARIABLE SLEPC_TEST_COMPILE_OUTPUT
     RUN_OUTPUT_VARIABLE SLEPC_TEST_OUTPUT
diff --git a/singularity/singularity.def b/singularity/singularity.def
index fa2b46b9a..d789a05f7 100644
--- a/singularity/singularity.def
+++ b/singularity/singularity.def
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ From: rockylinux:9
         -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=TRUE \
         -DPALACE_WITH_64BIT_INT:BOOL=FALSE \
         -DPALACE_WITH_OPENMP:BOOL=TRUE \
-        -DPALACE_WITH_LIBCEED:BOOL=TRUE \
         -DPALACE_WITH_GSLIB:BOOL=TRUE \
         -DPALACE_WITH_SUPERLU:BOOL=TRUE \
         -DPALACE_WITH_STRUMPACK:BOOL=TRUE \
diff --git a/spack/local/packages/palace/package.py b/spack/local/packages/palace/package.py
index 700601caf..fab688682 100644
--- a/spack/local/packages/palace/package.py
+++ b/spack/local/packages/palace/package.py
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ class Palace(CMakePackage):
     variant("shared", default=True, description="Enables the build of shared libraries")
     variant("int64", default=False, description="Use 64 bit integers")
     variant("openmp", default=False, description="Use OpenMP")
-    variant(
-        "libceed",
-        default=True,
-        description="Build with libCEED library for high-order partial assembly support",
-    )
     variant(
         "gslib",
         default=True,
@@ -38,7 +33,7 @@ class Palace(CMakePackage):
     variant("mumps", default=False, description="Build with MUMPS sparse direct solver")
     variant("slepc", default=True, description="Build with SLEPc eigenvalue solver")
     variant("arpack", default=False, description="Build with ARPACK eigenvalue solver")
-    variant("libxsmm", default=True, description="Build with LIBXSMM backend when libCEED is enabled")
+    variant("libxsmm", default=True, description="Build with LIBXSMM backend for libCEED")
 
     # Dependencies
     depends_on("cmake@3.13:", type="build")
@@ -119,7 +114,6 @@ def cmake_args(self):
             self.define_from_variant("BUILD_SHARED_LIBS", "shared"),
             self.define_from_variant("PALACE_WITH_64BIT_INT", "int64"),
             self.define_from_variant("PALACE_WITH_OPENMP", "openmp"),
-            self.define_from_variant("PALACE_WITH_LIBCEED", "libceed"),
             self.define_from_variant("PALACE_WITH_GSLIB", "gslib"),
             self.define_from_variant("PALACE_WITH_SUPERLU", "superlu-dist"),
             self.define_from_variant("PALACE_WITH_STRUMPACK", "strumpack"),