diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ff6ab5b6..f087a885 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 - better demand hint rules [kaas3000]
 - fix tiff thumbnail from buffer and source [vansante]
 - in jpegsave, don't set JFIF resolution if we set EXIF resolution
+- bump minimum libheif version to 1.3 [lovell]
 
 9/8/20 started 8.10.1
 - fix markdown -> xml conversion in doc generation
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b50cf392..ea3224a6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([heif],
   AS_HELP_STRING([--without-heif], [build without libheif (default: test)]))
 
 if test x"$with_heif" != x"no"; then
-  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(HEIF, libheif,
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(HEIF, libheif >= 1.3.0,
     [with_heif=yes
      have_h265_decoder=`$PKG_CONFIG libheif --variable builtin_h265_decoder`
      have_avif_decoder=`$PKG_CONFIG libheif --variable builtin_avif_decoder`
@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@ if test x"$with_heif" != x"no"; then
      fi
      PACKAGES_USED="$PACKAGES_USED libheif"
     ],
-    [AC_MSG_WARN([libheif not found; disabling HEIF support])
+    [AC_MSG_WARN([libheif >= 1.3.0 not found; disabling HEIF support])
      with_heif=no
      have_h265_decoder=
      have_h265_encoder=
@@ -862,42 +862,6 @@ if test x"$with_heif" != x"no"; then
   )
 fi
 
-# heif_context_set_primary_image not in 1.1
-if test x"$with_heif" = x"yes"; then
-  save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-  LIBS="$LIBS $HEIF_LIBS"
-  AC_CHECK_FUNCS(heif_context_set_primary_image,[
-     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_SET_PRIMARY_IMAGE,1,
-	       [define if you have heif_context_set_primary_image.])
-   ],[]
-  )
-  LIBS="$save_LIBS"
-fi
-
-# heif_encoding_options_alloc not in 1.1
-if test x"$with_heif" = x"yes"; then
-  save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-  LIBS="$LIBS $HEIF_LIBS"
-  AC_CHECK_FUNCS(heif_encoding_options_alloc,[
-     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_HEIF_ENCODING_OPTIONS_ALLOC,1,
-	       [define if you have heif_encoding_options_alloc.])
-   ],[]
-  )
-  LIBS="$save_LIBS"
-fi
-
-# exif/xmp profile support not in 1.1
-if test x"$with_heif" = x"yes"; then
-  save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-  LIBS="$LIBS $HEIF_LIBS"
-  AC_CHECK_FUNCS(heif_context_add_exif_metadata,[
-     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_ADD_EXIF_METADATA,1,
-	       [define if you have heif_context_add_exif_metadata.])
-   ],[]
-  )
-  LIBS="$save_LIBS"
-fi
-
 # color profile support added in 1.3.3
 if test x"$with_heif" = x"yes"; then
   save_LIBS="$LIBS"
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/heifsave.c b/libvips/foreign/heifsave.c
index 62e55656..7e0215a1 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/heifsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/heifsave.c
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ vips_foreign_save_heif_dispose( GObject *gobject )
 		dispose( gobject );
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_ADD_EXIF_METADATA
 typedef struct heif_error (*libheif_metadata_fn)( struct heif_context *,
 	 const struct heif_image_handle *,
 	 const void *, int );
@@ -141,12 +140,10 @@ struct _VipsForeignSaveHeifMetadata {
 	{ VIPS_META_EXIF_NAME, heif_context_add_exif_metadata },
 	{ VIPS_META_XMP_NAME, heif_context_add_XMP_metadata }
 };
-#endif /*HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_ADD_EXIF_METADATA*/
 
 static int
 vips_foreign_save_heif_write_metadata( VipsForeignSaveHeif *heif )
 {
-#ifdef HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_ADD_EXIF_METADATA
 	int i;
 	struct heif_error error;
 
@@ -178,7 +175,6 @@ vips_foreign_save_heif_write_metadata( VipsForeignSaveHeif *heif )
 				return( -1 );
 			}
 		}
-#endif /*HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_ADD_EXIF_METADATA*/
 
 	return( 0 );
 }
@@ -216,13 +212,9 @@ vips_foreign_save_heif_write_page( VipsForeignSaveHeif *heif, int page )
 	}
 #endif /*HAVE_HEIF_COLOR_PROFILE*/
 
-#ifdef HAVE_HEIF_ENCODING_OPTIONS_ALLOC
 	options = heif_encoding_options_alloc();
 	if( vips_image_hasalpha( heif->image ) )
 		options->save_alpha_channel = 1;
-#else /*!HAVE_HEIF_ENCODING_OPTIONS_ALLOC*/
-	options = NULL;
-#endif /*HAVE_HEIF_ENCODING_OPTIONS_ALLOC*/
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	printf( "encoding ..\n" ); 
@@ -230,16 +222,13 @@ vips_foreign_save_heif_write_page( VipsForeignSaveHeif *heif, int page )
 	error = heif_context_encode_image( heif->ctx, 
 		heif->img, heif->encoder, options, &heif->handle );
 
-#ifdef HAVE_HEIF_ENCODING_OPTIONS_ALLOC
 	heif_encoding_options_free( options );
-#endif /*HAVE_HEIF_ENCODING_OPTIONS_ALLOC*/
 
 	if( error.code ) {
 		vips__heif_error( &error );
 		return( -1 );
 	}
 
-#ifdef HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_SET_PRIMARY_IMAGE
 	if( vips_image_get_typeof( heif->image, "heif-primary" ) ) { 
 		int primary;
 
@@ -256,7 +245,6 @@ vips_foreign_save_heif_write_page( VipsForeignSaveHeif *heif, int page )
 			}
 		}
 	}
-#endif /*HAVE_HEIF_CONTEXT_SET_PRIMARY_IMAGE*/
 
 	if( !save->strip &&
 		vips_foreign_save_heif_write_metadata( heif ) )