diff --git a/src/initialize_mdbnomics.m b/src/initialize_mdbnomics.m
index 29e9b68edf2d375c09b1e4c5838d1e038857eab9..fcf56ea6b7ca714f1c6ec2fb50a210158d59d914 100644
--- a/src/initialize_mdbnomics.m
+++ b/src/initialize_mdbnomics.m
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ mdbnomics_src_root = strrep(which('initialize_mdbnomics'), 'initialize_mdbnomics
 p = {'subroutines'};
 
 % Add missing routines if dynare is not in the path
-if ~exist('contains','file')
+if ~exist('contains','builtin')
     p{end+1} = 'missing/contains';
 end
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ if ~exist('get_file_extension','file')
     p{end+1} = 'missing/get_file_extension';
 end
 
-if ~exist('isint','file')
+if ~exist('iscolumn','builtin')
     p{end+1} = 'missing/iscolumn';
 end