diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 13add4903b6..ccc43fe9e6a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1435,6 +1435,9 @@ if test "$use_boost" = "yes"; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([only libbitcoinconsensus can be built without Boost])
   fi
 
+  dnl we don't use multi_index serialization
+  BOOST_CPPFLAGS="$BOOST_CPPFLAGS -DBOOST_MULTI_INDEX_DISABLE_SERIALIZATION"
+
   if test "$suppress_external_warnings" != "no"; then
     BOOST_CPPFLAGS=SUPPRESS_WARNINGS($BOOST_CPPFLAGS)
   fi