diff --git a/nipype/interfaces/matlab.py b/nipype/interfaces/matlab.py
index 03e34b0b43..294abdf3ef 100644
--- a/nipype/interfaces/matlab.py
+++ b/nipype/interfaces/matlab.py
@@ -191,7 +191,10 @@ def _gen_matlab_command(self, argstr, script_lines):
         else:
             prescript.insert(0, "fprintf(1,'Executing code at %s:\\n',datestr(now));")
         for path in paths:
-            prescript.append("addpath('%s');\n" % path)
+            # addpath() is not available after compliation
+            # https://www.mathworks.com/help/compiler/ismcc.html
+            # https://www.mathworks.com/help/compiler/isdeployed.html
+            prescript.append("if ~(ismcc || isdeployed), addpath('%s'); end;\n" % path)
 
         if not mfile:
             # clean up the code of comments and replace newlines with commas