diff --git a/cmake/GtsamMatlabWrap.cmake b/cmake/GtsamMatlabWrap.cmake
index ba616b025..2da2d02c2 100644
--- a/cmake/GtsamMatlabWrap.cmake
+++ b/cmake/GtsamMatlabWrap.cmake
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ function(install_wrapped_library_internal interfaceHeader)
 	if(GTSAM_BUILD_TYPE_POSTFIXES)
 		foreach(build_type ${CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES})
 			string(TOUPPER "${build_type}" build_type_upper)
-			if("${build_type_upper}" STREQUAL "RELEASE")
+			if(${build_type_upper} STREQUAL "RELEASE")
 				set(build_type_tag "") # Don't create release mode tag on installed directory
 			else()
 				set(build_type_tag "${build_type}")
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ function(install_matlab_scripts source_directory patterns)
 	if(GTSAM_BUILD_TYPE_POSTFIXES)
 		foreach(build_type ${CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES})
 			string(TOUPPER "${build_type}" build_type_upper)
-			if("${build_type_upper}" STREQUAL "RELEASE")
+			if(${build_type_upper} STREQUAL "RELEASE")
 				set(build_type_tag "") # Don't create release mode tag on installed directory
 			else()
 				set(build_type_tag "${build_type}")
diff --git a/matlab/CMakeLists.txt b/matlab/CMakeLists.txt
index c7b7d6441..9abd4e31d 100644
--- a/matlab/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/matlab/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ set(matlab_examples_data ${matlab_examples_data_graph} ${matlab_examples_data_ma
 if(GTSAM_BUILD_TYPE_POSTFIXES)
 	foreach(build_type ${CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES})
 		string(TOUPPER "${build_type}" build_type_upper)
-		if("${build_type_upper}" STREQUAL "RELEASE")
+		if(${build_type_upper} STREQUAL "RELEASE")
 			set(build_type_tag "") # Don't create release mode tag on installed directory
 		else()
 			set(build_type_tag "${build_type}")