diff --git a/doc/APIchanges b/doc/APIchanges
index 7b324f48fa..41662da84f 100644
--- a/doc/APIchanges
+++ b/doc/APIchanges
@@ -14,15 +14,10 @@ libavutil:     2021-04-27
 
 API changes, most recent first:
 
-2022-03-16 - xxxxxxxxxx - all libraries - version.h, version_major.h
-  No longer implicitly include lib<name>/version.h in lib<name>/<name>.h.
-  Users who depend on defines from these files (LIB<name>_VERSION*,
-  LIB<name>_IDENT) must explicitly include these headers instead of
-  relying on them being included implicitly.
+2022-03-16 - xxxxxxxxxx - all libraries - version_major.h
   Add lib<name>/version_major.h as new installed headers, which only
   contain the major version number (and corresponding API deprecation
-  defines). These headers are still implicitly included from the
-  library main headers.
+  defines).
 
 2022-03-10 - xxxxxxxxxx - lavu 57.23.100 - cpu.h
   Add AV_CPU_FLAG_AVX512ICL.
diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index c6512f12c4..4dae23d06e 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@
 #include "defs.h"
 #include "packet.h"
 #include "version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "version.h"
+#endif
 
 /**
  * @defgroup libavc libavcodec
diff --git a/libavdevice/avdevice.h b/libavdevice/avdevice.h
index 6de0e33819..0b32e59fed 100644
--- a/libavdevice/avdevice.h
+++ b/libavdevice/avdevice.h
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
 #define AVDEVICE_AVDEVICE_H
 
 #include "version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "version.h"
+#endif
 
 /**
  * @file
diff --git a/libavfilter/avfilter.h b/libavfilter/avfilter.h
index 3fb41d777c..2e8197c9a6 100644
--- a/libavfilter/avfilter.h
+++ b/libavfilter/avfilter.h
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@
 #include "libavutil/rational.h"
 
 #include "libavfilter/version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "libavfilter/version.h"
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Return the LIBAVFILTER_VERSION_INT constant.
diff --git a/libavformat/avformat.h b/libavformat/avformat.h
index 03df76af92..f12fa7d904 100644
--- a/libavformat/avformat.h
+++ b/libavformat/avformat.h
@@ -320,6 +320,12 @@
 
 #include "avio.h"
 #include "libavformat/version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "libavformat/version.h"
+#endif
 
 struct AVFormatContext;
 struct AVStream;
diff --git a/libpostproc/postprocess.h b/libpostproc/postprocess.h
index cf4e78c83a..5decb7e8a9 100644
--- a/libpostproc/postprocess.h
+++ b/libpostproc/postprocess.h
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@
  */
 
 #include "libpostproc/version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "libpostproc/version.h"
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Return the LIBPOSTPROC_VERSION_INT constant.
diff --git a/libswresample/swresample.h b/libswresample/swresample.h
index 2c4eb3562d..26d42fab8d 100644
--- a/libswresample/swresample.h
+++ b/libswresample/swresample.h
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@
 #include "libavutil/samplefmt.h"
 
 #include "libswresample/version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "libswresample/version.h"
+#endif
 
 /**
  * @name Option constants
diff --git a/libswscale/swscale.h b/libswscale/swscale.h
index 07c69e1ae7..3ebf7c698d 100644
--- a/libswscale/swscale.h
+++ b/libswscale/swscale.h
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
 #include "libavutil/log.h"
 #include "libavutil/pixfmt.h"
 #include "version_major.h"
+#ifndef HAVE_AV_CONFIG_H
+/* When included as part of the ffmpeg build, only include the major version
+ * to avoid unnecessary rebuilds. When included externally, keep including
+ * the full version information. */
+#include "version.h"
+#endif
 
 /**
  * @defgroup libsws libswscale