diff --git a/ggml-metal.m b/ggml-metal.m
index 3a5476c5..c3451a79 100644
--- a/ggml-metal.m
+++ b/ggml-metal.m
@@ -280,6 +280,11 @@ static struct ggml_metal_context * ggml_metal_init(int n_cb) {
     id<MTLLibrary> metal_library;
 
     // load library
+    //
+    // - first check if the library is embedded
+    // - then check if the library is in the bundle
+    // - if not found, load the source and compile it
+    // - if that fails, return NULL
     {
         NSBundle * bundle = nil;
 #ifdef SWIFT_PACKAGE
@@ -287,12 +292,21 @@ static struct ggml_metal_context * ggml_metal_init(int n_cb) {
 #else
         bundle = [NSBundle bundleForClass:[GGMLMetalClass class]];
 #endif
+
         NSError * error = nil;
-        NSString * libPath = [bundle pathForResource:@"default" ofType:@"metallib"];
-        if (libPath != nil) {
+
+#if GGML_METAL_EMBED_LIBRARY
+        const bool try_metallib = false;
+#else
+        const bool try_metallib = true;
+#endif
+
+        NSString * path_lib = [bundle pathForResource:@"default" ofType:@"metallib"];
+        if (try_metallib && path_lib != nil) {
             // pre-compiled library found
-            NSURL * libURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:libPath];
-            GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: loading '%s'\n", __func__, [libPath UTF8String]);
+            NSURL * libURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path_lib];
+            GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: loading '%s'\n", __func__, [path_lib UTF8String]);
+
             metal_library = [ctx->device newLibraryWithURL:libURL error:&error];
             if (error) {
                 GGML_METAL_LOG_ERROR("%s: error: %s\n", __func__, [[error description] UTF8String]);
@@ -305,31 +319,34 @@ static struct ggml_metal_context * ggml_metal_init(int n_cb) {
             extern const char ggml_metallib_start[];
             extern const char ggml_metallib_end[];
 
-            NSString * src  = [[NSString alloc] initWithBytes:ggml_metallib_start length:(ggml_metallib_end-ggml_metallib_start) encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+            NSString * src = [[NSString alloc] initWithBytes:ggml_metallib_start length:(ggml_metallib_end-ggml_metallib_start) encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
 #else
             GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: default.metallib not found, loading from source\n", __func__);
 
-            NSString * sourcePath;
-            NSString * ggmlMetalPathResources = [[NSProcessInfo processInfo].environment objectForKey:@"GGML_METAL_PATH_RESOURCES"];
+            NSString * path_source;
+            NSString * path_resource = [[NSProcessInfo processInfo].environment objectForKey:@"GGML_METAL_PATH_RESOURCES"];
 
-            GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: GGML_METAL_PATH_RESOURCES = %s\n", __func__, ggmlMetalPathResources ? [ggmlMetalPathResources UTF8String] : "nil");
+            GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: GGML_METAL_PATH_RESOURCES = %s\n", __func__, path_resource ? [path_resource UTF8String] : "nil");
 
-            if (ggmlMetalPathResources) {
-                sourcePath = [ggmlMetalPathResources stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"ggml-metal.metal"];
+            if (path_resource) {
+                path_source = [path_resource stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"ggml-metal.metal"];
             } else {
-                sourcePath = [bundle pathForResource:@"ggml-metal" ofType:@"metal"];
+                path_source = [bundle pathForResource:@"ggml-metal" ofType:@"metal"];
             }
-            if (sourcePath == nil) {
+
+            if (path_source == nil) {
                 GGML_METAL_LOG_WARN("%s: error: could not use bundle path to find ggml-metal.metal, falling back to trying cwd\n", __func__);
-                sourcePath = @"ggml-metal.metal";
+                path_source = @"ggml-metal.metal";
             }
-            GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: loading '%s'\n", __func__, [sourcePath UTF8String]);
-            NSString * src = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:sourcePath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];
+
+            GGML_METAL_LOG_INFO("%s: loading '%s'\n", __func__, [path_source UTF8String]);
+
+            NSString * src = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:path_source encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];
             if (error) {
                 GGML_METAL_LOG_ERROR("%s: error: %s\n", __func__, [[error description] UTF8String]);
                 return NULL;
             }
-#endif
+#endif // GGML_METAL_EMBED_LIBRARY
 
             @autoreleasepool {
                 // dictionary of preprocessor macros
diff --git a/ggml-metal.metal b/ggml-metal.metal
index ebf2f5b4..63de5632 100644
--- a/ggml-metal.metal
+++ b/ggml-metal.metal
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
 
 #include <metal_stdlib>
 
-#define GGML_COMMON_IMPL_METAL
-#include "ggml-common.h"
-
 using namespace metal;
 
 #define MAX(x, y) ((x) > (y) ? (x) : (y))