diff --git a/cython/SnapPy.pxi b/cython/SnapPy.pxi
index a4612c11..1a936ec2 100644
--- a/cython/SnapPy.pxi
+++ b/cython/SnapPy.pxi
@@ -24,51 +24,6 @@ cdef extern from "stdlib.h":
 cdef extern from "string.h":
     char* strncpy(char* dst, char* src, size_t len)
 
-IF REAL_TYPE == 'qd_real':
-    from libcpp cimport bool as cpp_bool
-    cdef extern from "qd_real_SnapPy.h":
-        qd_real PI_SQUARED_BY_2
-        double default_vertex_epsilon
-        qd_real det_error_epsilon
-        cdef cppclass qd_real:
-            double x[4]
-            qd_real() except +
-            qd_real(double) except +
-            qd_real(char *) except +
-            qd_real(qd_real) except +
-            qd_real operator+(qd_real)
-            qd_real operator-(qd_real)
-            qd_real operator*(qd_real)
-            qd_real operator/(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator<(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator<(double)
-            cpp_bool operator>(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator>(double)
-            cpp_bool operator<=(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator<=(double)
-            cpp_bool operator>=(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator>=(double)
-            cpp_bool operator==(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator==(double)
-            cpp_bool operator!=(qd_real)
-            cpp_bool operator!=(double)
-            void write(char *s, int len, int precision)
-
-    ctypedef qd_real Real
-
-    cdef real_to_string(Real x):
-        cdef char buffer[128]
-        x.write(buffer, 128, 64)
-        return buffer  # this should return a python string
-ELIF REAL_TYPE == 'double':
-    ctypedef double Real
-    cdef extern from "double_SnapPy.h":
-        double PI_SQUARED_BY_2
-        double default_vertex_epsilon
-        double det_error_epsilon
-    cdef real_to_string(Real x):
-        return '%.18f' % x
-
 # SnapPea declarations
 
 # Cython can't handle arrays of C++ objects because of a bug which
diff --git a/cython/SnapPy.pyx b/cython/SnapPy.pyx
index a58d2cb4..575f102c 100644
--- a/cython/SnapPy.pyx
+++ b/cython/SnapPy.pyx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # cython: language_level=3str
 
-DEF REAL_TYPE = 'double'
+ctypedef double Real
+
 include "SnapPy.pxi"
 include "numbers/double.pyx"
 include "core/basic.pyx"
diff --git a/cython/SnapPyHP.pyx b/cython/SnapPyHP.pyx
index 601c3ca3..62eff721 100644
--- a/cython/SnapPyHP.pyx
+++ b/cython/SnapPyHP.pyx
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 # distutils: language = c++
 # distutils: sources = SnapPyHP.cpp
 # cython: language_level=3str
-DEF REAL_TYPE = "qd_real"
+
+ctypedef qd_real Real
+
 include "SnapPy.pxi"
 include "numbers/qd.pyx"
 include "core/basic.pyx"
diff --git a/cython/numbers/double.pyx b/cython/numbers/double.pyx
index b6fa07dd..9c2f1044 100644
--- a/cython/numbers/double.pyx
+++ b/cython/numbers/double.pyx
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ from .number import Number as RawNumber
 class Number(RawNumber):
     _default_precision=53
 
+cdef extern from "double_SnapPy.h":
+    double PI_SQUARED_BY_2
+    double default_vertex_epsilon
+    double det_error_epsilon
+
+cdef real_to_string(Real x):
+    return '%.18f' % x
+
 cdef Real2gen_direct(Real R):
     """
     Convert a Real to a pari gen of type t_REAL.
@@ -26,4 +34,3 @@ cdef Real2Number(Real R):
     return Number(Real2gen(R))
 cdef Complex2Number(Complex C):
     return Number(Complex2gen(C))
-
diff --git a/cython/numbers/qd.pyx b/cython/numbers/qd.pyx
index 9f8eb504..bcda37d9 100644
--- a/cython/numbers/qd.pyx
+++ b/cython/numbers/qd.pyx
@@ -3,6 +3,40 @@ from .number import Number as RawNumber
 class Number(RawNumber):
     _default_precision=212
 
+from libcpp cimport bool as cpp_bool
+cdef extern from "qd_real_SnapPy.h":
+    qd_real PI_SQUARED_BY_2
+    double default_vertex_epsilon
+    qd_real det_error_epsilon
+    cdef cppclass qd_real:
+        double x[4]
+        qd_real() except +
+        qd_real(double) except +
+        qd_real(char *) except +
+        qd_real(qd_real) except +
+        qd_real operator+(qd_real)
+        qd_real operator-(qd_real)
+        qd_real operator*(qd_real)
+        qd_real operator/(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator<(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator<(double)
+        cpp_bool operator>(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator>(double)
+        cpp_bool operator<=(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator<=(double)
+        cpp_bool operator>=(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator>=(double)
+        cpp_bool operator==(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator==(double)
+        cpp_bool operator!=(qd_real)
+        cpp_bool operator!=(double)
+        void write(char *s, int len, int precision)
+
+cdef real_to_string(Real x):
+    cdef char buffer[128]
+    x.write(buffer, 128, 64)
+    return buffer  # this should return a python string
+
 cdef Real2gen_direct(Real R):
     """
     Convert a Real to a pari gen of type t_REAL.  This constructs the gen