diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_debugfs.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_debugfs.c
index a72c096aa5b1..12460b584bcb 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_debugfs.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_debugfs.c
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ static int drbd_version_show(struct seq_file *m, void *ignored)
 {
 	seq_printf(m, "# %s\n", drbd_buildtag());
 	seq_printf(m, "VERSION=%s\n", REL_VERSION);
-	seq_printf(m, "API_VERSION=%u\n", API_VERSION);
+	seq_printf(m, "API_VERSION=%u\n", GENL_MAGIC_VERSION);
 	seq_printf(m, "PRO_VERSION_MIN=%u\n", PRO_VERSION_MIN);
 	seq_printf(m, "PRO_VERSION_MAX=%u\n", PRO_VERSION_MAX);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
index af9309175637..2c764f7ee4a7 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
@@ -2899,7 +2899,7 @@ static int __init drbd_init(void)
 
 	pr_info("initialized. "
 	       "Version: " REL_VERSION " (api:%d/proto:%d-%d)\n",
-	       API_VERSION, PRO_VERSION_MIN, PRO_VERSION_MAX);
+	       GENL_MAGIC_VERSION, PRO_VERSION_MIN, PRO_VERSION_MAX);
 	pr_info("%s\n", drbd_buildtag());
 	pr_info("registered as block device major %d\n", DRBD_MAJOR);
 	return 0; /* Success! */
diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_proc.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_proc.c
index 2227fb0db1ce..1d0feafceadc 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_proc.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_proc.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ int drbd_seq_show(struct seq_file *seq, void *v)
 	};
 
 	seq_printf(seq, "version: " REL_VERSION " (api:%d/proto:%d-%d)\n%s\n",
-		   API_VERSION, PRO_VERSION_MIN, PRO_VERSION_MAX, drbd_buildtag());
+		   GENL_MAGIC_VERSION, PRO_VERSION_MIN, PRO_VERSION_MAX, drbd_buildtag());
 
 	/*
 	  cs .. connection state
diff --git a/include/linux/drbd.h b/include/linux/drbd.h
index 5755537b51b1..df65a8f5228a 100644
--- a/include/linux/drbd.h
+++ b/include/linux/drbd.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 
 extern const char *drbd_buildtag(void);
 #define REL_VERSION "8.4.11"
-#define API_VERSION 1
 #define PRO_VERSION_MIN 86
 #define PRO_VERSION_MAX 101
 
diff --git a/include/linux/drbd_genl_api.h b/include/linux/drbd_genl_api.h
index bd62efc29002..70682c058027 100644
--- a/include/linux/drbd_genl_api.h
+++ b/include/linux/drbd_genl_api.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ enum drbd_state_info_bcast_reason {
 #undef linux
 
 #include <linux/drbd.h>
-#define GENL_MAGIC_VERSION	API_VERSION
+#define GENL_MAGIC_VERSION	1
 #define GENL_MAGIC_FAMILY	drbd
 #define GENL_MAGIC_FAMILY_HDRSZ	sizeof(struct drbd_genlmsghdr)
 #define GENL_MAGIC_INCLUDE_FILE <linux/drbd_genl.h>