diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 89e998bd..35352612 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -162,16 +162,21 @@ verilog: $(sim_vsrcs)
 #########################################################################################
 .PHONY: run-binary run-binary-fast run-binary-debug run-fast
 
+check-binary:
+ifndef BINARY
+	$(error BINARY variable is not set. Set it to the simulation binary)
+endif
+
 # run normal binary with hardware-logged insn dissassembly
-run-binary: $(output_dir) $(sim)
+run-binary: $(output_dir) $(sim) $(check-binary)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(NUMA_PREFIX) $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(SEED_FLAG) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $(BINARY) </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $(sim_out_name).out) | tee $(sim_out_name).log)
 
 # run simulator as fast as possible (no insn disassembly)
-run-binary-fast: $(output_dir) $(sim)
+run-binary-fast: $(output_dir) $(sim) $(check-binary)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(NUMA_PREFIX) $(sim) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(SEED_FLAG) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $(BINARY) </dev/null | tee $(sim_out_name).log)
 
 # run simulator with as much debug info as possible
-run-binary-debug: $(output_dir) $(sim_debug)
+run-binary-debug: $(output_dir) $(sim_debug) $(check-binary)
 	(set -o pipefail && $(NUMA_PREFIX) $(sim_debug) $(PERMISSIVE_ON) $(SIM_FLAGS) $(EXTRA_SIM_FLAGS) $(SEED_FLAG) $(VERBOSE_FLAGS) $(WAVEFORM_FLAG) $(PERMISSIVE_OFF) $(BINARY) </dev/null 2> >(spike-dasm > $(sim_out_name).out) | tee $(sim_out_name).log)
 
 run-fast: run-asm-tests-fast run-bmark-tests-fast
@@ -182,16 +187,19 @@ run-fast: run-asm-tests-fast run-bmark-tests-fast
 $(binary_hex): $(output_dir) $(BINARY)
 	$(base_dir)/scripts/smartelf2hex.sh $(BINARY) > $(binary_hex)
 
+run-binary-hex: $(check-binary)
 run-binary-hex: $(output_dir) $(sim) $(binary_hex)
 run-binary-hex: run-binary
 run-binary-hex: override LOADMEM_ADDR = 80000000
 run-binary-hex: override LOADMEM = $(binary_hex)
 run-binary-hex: override SIM_FLAGS += +loadmem=$(LOADMEM) +loadmem_addr=$(LOADMEM_ADDR)
+run-binary-debug-hex: $(check-binary)
 run-binary-debug-hex: $(output_dir) $(sim) $(binary_hex)
 run-binary-debug-hex: run-binary-debug
 run-binary-debug-hex: override LOADMEM_ADDR = 80000000
 run-binary-debug-hex: override LOADMEM = $(binary_hex)
 run-binary-debug-hex: override SIM_FLAGS += +loadmem=$(LOADMEM) +loadmem_addr=$(LOADMEM_ADDR)
+run-binary-fast-hex: $(check-binary)
 run-binary-fast-hex: $(output_dir) $(sim) $(binary_hex)
 run-binary-fast-hex: run-binary-fast
 run-binary-fast-hex: override LOADMEM_ADDR = 80000000