diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5bca7c6c0..48bd2f0f9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -628,8 +628,11 @@ dnl This is the release version name-number[beta]
 dnl
 
 cat > include/newversion.h.in <<EOF
-const char *heimdal_long_version = "@([#])\$Version: $PACKAGE_STRING by @USER@ on @HOST@ ($host) @DATE@ \$";
-const char *heimdal_version = "AC_PACKAGE_STRING";
+#ifndef VERSION_HIDDEN
+#define VERSION_HIDDEN
+#endif
+VERSION_HIDDEN const char *heimdal_long_version = "@([#])\$Version: $PACKAGE_STRING by @USER@ on @HOST@ ($host) @DATE@ \$";
+VERSION_HIDDEN const char *heimdal_version = "AC_PACKAGE_STRING";
 EOF
 
 if test -f include/version.h && cmp -s include/newversion.h.in include/version.h.in; then
diff --git a/lib/krb5/version.c b/lib/krb5/version.c
index a0e750604..302854de3 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/version.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/version.c
@@ -35,7 +35,5 @@
 
 /* this is just to get a version stamp in the library file */
 
-#define heimdal_version __heimdal_version
-#define heimdal_long_version __heimdal_long_version
 #include "version.h"
 
diff --git a/lib/vers/print_version.c b/lib/vers/print_version.c
index 9d102c7dc..e89f9a124 100644
--- a/lib/vers/print_version.c
+++ b/lib/vers/print_version.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 
 #include <config.h>
 
+#define VERSION_HIDDEN static
+
 #include "roken.h"
 
 #include "version.h"