diff --git a/fftools/cmdutils.c b/fftools/cmdutils.c
index 91b1308b0c..5151f548e1 100644
--- a/fftools/cmdutils.c
+++ b/fftools/cmdutils.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "libavformat/version.h"
 #include "libavfilter/avfilter.h"
 #include "libavdevice/avdevice.h"
+#include "libavdevice/version.h"
 #include "libswscale/swscale.h"
 #include "libswresample/swresample.h"
 #include "libpostproc/postprocess.h"
diff --git a/fftools/ffprobe.c b/fftools/ffprobe.c
index 37bdb9a7e6..1c1b0f1783 100644
--- a/fftools/ffprobe.c
+++ b/fftools/ffprobe.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #include "libavutil/timecode.h"
 #include "libavutil/timestamp.h"
 #include "libavdevice/avdevice.h"
+#include "libavdevice/version.h"
 #include "libswscale/swscale.h"
 #include "libswresample/swresample.h"
 #include "libpostproc/postprocess.h"
diff --git a/libavdevice/Makefile b/libavdevice/Makefile
index 53efda0514..99fea7133a 100644
--- a/libavdevice/Makefile
+++ b/libavdevice/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ DESC    = FFmpeg device handling library
 
 HEADERS = avdevice.h                                                    \
           version.h                                                     \
+          version_major.h                                               \
 
 OBJS    = alldevices.o                                                  \
           avdevice.o                                                    \
diff --git a/libavdevice/avdevice.c b/libavdevice/avdevice.c
index 8f460c7564..833d200054 100644
--- a/libavdevice/avdevice.c
+++ b/libavdevice/avdevice.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "avdevice.h"
 #include "internal.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "version.h"
 
 #include "libavutil/ffversion.h"
 const char av_device_ffversion[] = "FFmpeg version " FFMPEG_VERSION;
diff --git a/libavdevice/avdevice.h b/libavdevice/avdevice.h
index 6f24976dcc..6de0e33819 100644
--- a/libavdevice/avdevice.h
+++ b/libavdevice/avdevice.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #ifndef AVDEVICE_AVDEVICE_H
 #define AVDEVICE_AVDEVICE_H
 
-#include "version.h"
+#include "version_major.h"
 
 /**
  * @file
diff --git a/libavdevice/version.h b/libavdevice/version.h
index 05234e7f21..513c0bb1bc 100644
--- a/libavdevice/version.h
+++ b/libavdevice/version.h
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
 
 #include "libavutil/version.h"
 
-#define LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR  59
+#include "version_major.h"
+
 #define LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION_MINOR   5
 #define LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION_MICRO 100
 
@@ -41,11 +42,4 @@
 
 #define LIBAVDEVICE_IDENT       "Lavd" AV_STRINGIFY(LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION)
 
-/**
- * FF_API_* defines may be placed below to indicate public API that will be
- * dropped at a future version bump. The defines themselves are not part of
- * the public API and may change, break or disappear at any time.
- */
-#define FF_API_DEVICE_CAPABILITIES (LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR < 60)
-
 #endif /* AVDEVICE_VERSION_H */
diff --git a/libavdevice/version_major.h b/libavdevice/version_major.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d255ff6992
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavdevice/version_major.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of FFmpeg.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with FFmpeg; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef AVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR_H
+#define AVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR_H
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * @ingroup lavd
+ * Libavdevice version macros
+ */
+
+#define LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR  59
+
+/**
+ * FF_API_* defines may be placed below to indicate public API that will be
+ * dropped at a future version bump. The defines themselves are not part of
+ * the public API and may change, break or disappear at any time.
+ */
+#define FF_API_DEVICE_CAPABILITIES (LIBAVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR < 60)
+
+#endif /* AVDEVICE_VERSION_MAJOR_H */