diff --git a/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.h b/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.h
index 9732c41..881c0f4 100644
--- a/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.h
+++ b/protobuf-c/protobuf-c.h
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ protobuf_c_version_number(void);
  */
 #define PROTOBUF_C_VERSION_NUMBER	1000000
 
+/**
+ * The minimum protoc-c version which works with the current version of the
+ * protobuf-c headers.
+ */
+#define PROTOBUF_C_MIN_COMPILER_VERSION	1000000
+
 typedef int protobuf_c_boolean;
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/protoc-c/c_file.cc b/protoc-c/c_file.cc
index fbe8fed..44b6150 100644
--- a/protoc-c/c_file.cc
+++ b/protoc-c/c_file.cc
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ FileGenerator::~FileGenerator() {}
 void FileGenerator::GenerateHeader(io::Printer* printer) {
   string filename_identifier = FilenameIdentifier(file_->name());
 
+  static const int min_header_version = 1000000;
+
   // Generate top of header.
   printer->Print(
     "/* Generated by the protocol buffer compiler.  DO NOT EDIT! */\n"
@@ -140,14 +142,13 @@ void FileGenerator::GenerateHeader(io::Printer* printer) {
     "#if PROTOBUF_C_VERSION_NUMBER < $min_header_version$\n"
     "# error This file was generated by a newer version of protoc-c which is "
     "incompatible with your libprotobuf-c headers. Please update your headers.\n"
-    "#elif $protoc_version$ < PROTOBUF_C_VERSION_NUMBER\n"
+    "#elif $protoc_version$ < PROTOBUF_C_MIN_COMPILER_VERSION\n"
     "# error This file was generated by an older version of protoc-c which is "
     "incompatible with your libprotobuf-c headers. Please regenerate this file "
     "with a newer version of protoc-c.\n"
     "#endif\n"
     "\n",
-    "min_header_version",
-      SimpleItoa(PROTOBUF_C_VERSION_NUMBER),
+    "min_header_version", SimpleItoa(min_header_version),
     "protoc_version", SimpleItoa(PROTOBUF_C_VERSION_NUMBER));
 
   for (int i = 0; i < file_->dependency_count(); i++) {