diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-version.h.in b/libfwupd/fwupd-version.h.in
index b77e8357b..a5560e258 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-version.h.in
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-version.h.in
@@ -39,21 +39,27 @@
  *
  * The compile-time major version
  */
+#ifndef FWUPD_MAJOR_VERSION
 #define FWUPD_MAJOR_VERSION				(@FWUPD_MAJOR_VERSION@)
+#endif
 
 /**
  * FWUPD_MINOR_VERSION:
  *
  * The compile-time minor version
  */
+#ifndef FWUPD_MINOR_VERSION
 #define FWUPD_MINOR_VERSION				(@FWUPD_MINOR_VERSION@)
+#endif
 
 /**
  * FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION:
  *
  * The compile-time micro version
  */
+#ifndef FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION
 #define FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION				(@FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION@)
+#endif
 
 /**
  * FWUPD_CHECK_VERSION:
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0ab0536f1..8a500de2a 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ fwupd_minor_version = varr[1]
 fwupd_micro_version = varr[2]
 
 conf = configuration_data()
-conf.set('FWUPD_MAJOR_VERSION_CONF', fwupd_major_version)
-conf.set('FWUPD_MINOR_VERSION_CONF', fwupd_minor_version)
-conf.set('FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION_CONF', fwupd_micro_version)
+conf.set('FWUPD_MAJOR_VERSION', fwupd_major_version)
+conf.set('FWUPD_MINOR_VERSION', fwupd_minor_version)
+conf.set('FWUPD_MICRO_VERSION', fwupd_micro_version)
 conf.set_quoted('PACKAGE_VERSION', fwupd_version)
 
 # libtool versioning - this applies to libfwupd