diff --git a/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/launch_plugin.py b/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/launch_plugin.py
index 262d39a736..75bd046048 100644
--- a/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/launch_plugin.py
+++ b/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/launch_plugin.py
@@ -38,11 +38,27 @@ def compile(self, *args, **opts):
         cudacpp_supported_backends = [ 'fortran', 'cuda', 'hip', 'cpp', 'cppnone', 'cppsse4', 'cppavx2', 'cpp512y', 'cpp512z', 'cppauto' ]
         if args and args[0][0] == 'madevent' and hasattr(self, 'run_card'):            
             cudacpp_backend = self.run_card['cudacpp_backend'].lower() # the default value is defined in launch_plugin.py
-            logger.info("Building madevent in madevent_interface.py with '%s' matrix elements"%cudacpp_backend)
+            if cudacpp_backend in ['cpp', 'cppauto']:
+                backend_log = pjoin(opts["cwd"], ".resolved-backend")
+                # try to remove old file if present
+                breakpoint()
+                try:
+                    os.remove(backend_log)
+                except FileNotFoundError:
+                    pass
+                misc.compile(["-f", "cudacpp.mk", f"BACKEND=cppauto", f"BACKEND_LOG={backend_log}", "detect-backend"], **opts)
+                try:
+                    with open(backend_log, "r") as f:
+                        resolved_backend = f.read().strip()
+                    logger.info(f"Backend '{cudacpp_backend}' resolved as '{resolved_backend}'")
+                    cudacpp_backend = resolved_backend
+                except FileNotFoundError:
+                    raise RuntimeError("Could not resolve cudacpp_backend=cppauto|cpp; ensure Makefile detection runs properly.")
+            logger.info(f"Building madevent in madevent_interface.py with '{cudacpp_backend}' matrix elements")
             if cudacpp_backend in cudacpp_supported_backends :
                 args[0][0] = 'madevent_' + cudacpp_backend + '_link'
             else:
-                raise Exception( "Invalid cudacpp_backend='%s': supported backends are %s"%supported_backends )
+                raise Exception(f"Invalid cudacpp_backend='{cudacpp_backend}': supported backends are [ '" + "', '".join(cudacpp_supported_backends) + "' ]")
             return misc.compile(nb_core=self.options['nb_core'], *args, **opts)
         else:
             return misc.compile(nb_core=self.options['nb_core'], *args, **opts)
diff --git a/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/madgraph/iolibs/template_files/gpu/cudacpp.mk b/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/madgraph/iolibs/template_files/gpu/cudacpp.mk
index 22acd3abe9..b69c9955bb 100644
--- a/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/madgraph/iolibs/template_files/gpu/cudacpp.mk
+++ b/epochX/cudacpp/CODEGEN/PLUGIN/CUDACPP_SA_OUTPUT/madgraph/iolibs/template_files/gpu/cudacpp.mk
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ endif
 #=== Redefine BACKEND if the current value is 'cppauto'
 
 # Set the default BACKEND choice corresponding to 'cppauto' (the 'best' C++ vectorization available: eventually use native instead?)
+BACKEND_ORIG := $(BACKEND)
 ifeq ($(BACKEND),cppauto)
   ifeq ($(UNAME_P),ppc64le)
     override BACKEND = cppsse4
@@ -80,6 +81,11 @@ else
   $(info BACKEND='$(BACKEND)')
 endif
 
+# Create file with the resolved backend in case user chooses 'cppauto'
+BACKEND_LOG ?= .resolved-backend
+ifneq ($(BACKEND_ORIG),$(BACKEND))
+  $(file >$(BACKEND_LOG),$(BACKEND))
+endif
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #=== Configure the C++ compiler
@@ -1235,4 +1241,9 @@ endif
 cuda-memcheck: all.$(TAG)
 	$(RUNTIME) $(CUDA_HOME)/bin/cuda-memcheck --check-api-memory-access yes --check-deprecated-instr yes --check-device-heap yes --demangle full --language c --leak-check full --racecheck-report all --report-api-errors all --show-backtrace yes --tool memcheck --track-unused-memory yes $(BUILDDIR)/check_$(GPUSUFFIX).exe -p 2 32 2
 
+# Detect backend (to be used in case of 'cppauto' to give info to the user)
+.PHONY: detect-backend
+detect-backend:
+	@echo "Resolved backend has already been written to $(BACKEND_LOG) at parse time."
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------