diff --git a/libvips/Makefile.am b/libvips/Makefile.am
index 960fa057..0ffb164d 100644
--- a/libvips/Makefile.am
+++ b/libvips/Makefile.am
@@ -66,13 +66,6 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 
 CLEANFILES = 
 
-install-exec-hook:
-	echo '/* This file is autogenerated, do not edit. */' > soname.h && \
-	. ./libvips.la && \
-	echo "#define VIPS_SONAME \"$$dlname\"" >> soname.h && \
-	cp soname.h $(DESTDIR)$(pkgincludedir) && \
-	rm soname.h
-
 # Modules
 
 module_LTLIBRARIES = 
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/Makefile.am b/libvips/include/vips/Makefile.am
index 846248f1..fc6fb151 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/Makefile.am
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/Makefile.am
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ pkginclude_HEADERS = \
 	region.h \
 	resample.h \
 	semaphore.h \
-	soname.h \
 	threadpool.h \
 	thread.h \
 	transform.h \
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/meson.build b/libvips/include/vips/meson.build
index 1397823e..2c21cc3b 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/meson.build
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/meson.build
@@ -137,12 +137,6 @@ version_data.set('LIBRARY_CURRENT', library_current)
 version_data.set('LIBRARY_REVISION', library_revision)
 version_data.set('LIBRARY_AGE', library_age)
 version_data.set('VIPS_CONFIG', ', '.join(vips_verbose_config))
-#FIXME: Do not require this
-if target_machine.system() == 'windows' or target_machine.system() == 'cygwin'
-    version_data.set('VIPS_EXEEXT', '.exe')
-else
-    version_data.set('VIPS_EXEEXT', '')
-endif
 version_data.set10('VIPS_ENABLE_DEPRECATED', get_option('deprecated'))
 
 version_header = configure_file(
@@ -153,28 +147,9 @@ version_header = configure_file(
     install_dir: get_option('prefix') / get_option('includedir') / 'vips'
 )
 
-#FIXME: Do not require this
-soname_data = configuration_data()
-if target_machine.system() == 'windows'
-    soname_data.set_quoted('VIPS_SONAME', 'vips-@0@.dll'.format(library_current - library_age))
-elif target_machine.system() == 'cygwin'
-    soname_data.set_quoted('VIPS_SONAME', 'cygvips-@0@.dll'.format(library_current - library_age))
-elif target_machine.system() == 'darwin'
-    soname_data.set_quoted('VIPS_SONAME', 'libvips.dylib')
-else
-    soname_data.set_quoted('VIPS_SONAME', 'libvips.so')
-endif
-soname_header = configure_file(
-    output: 'soname.h',
-    configuration: soname_data,
-    install: true,
-    install_dir: get_option('prefix') / get_option('includedir') / 'vips'
-)
-
 libvips_sources += public_headers
 libvips_sources += enumtypes
 libvips_sources += version_header
-libvips_sources += soname_header
 
 install_headers(
     public_other_headers,
@@ -188,7 +163,6 @@ libvips_headers_dep = declare_dependency(
         public_headers,
         enumtypes[1],
         version_header,
-        soname_header
     ],
     include_directories: libvips_includedir
 )
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/version.h.in b/libvips/include/vips/version.h.in
index 1732ff96..b2352756 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/version.h.in
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/version.h.in
@@ -18,19 +18,9 @@
 
 #define VIPS_CONFIG		"@VIPS_CONFIG@"
 
-/** 
- * VIPS_SONAME:
- *
- * The name of the shared object containing the vips library, for example
- * "libvips.so.42", or "libvips-42.dll".
- */
-
-#include "soname.h"
-
 /* Not really anything to do with versions, but this is a handy place to put
  * it.
  */
-#define VIPS_EXEEXT "@VIPS_EXEEXT@"
 #define VIPS_ENABLE_DEPRECATED @VIPS_ENABLE_DEPRECATED@
 
 #endif /*VIPS_VERSION_H*/
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
index 99bcc10f..ac0c06d5 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
@@ -580,7 +580,11 @@ size_t im_ref_string_get_length( const GValue *value );
 #define IM_MINOR_VERSION VIPS_MINOR_VERSION
 #define IM_MICRO_VERSION VIPS_MICRO_VERSION
 
-#define IM_EXEEXT VIPS_EXEEXT
+#if defined(G_PLATFORM_WIN32) || defined(G_WITH_CYGWIN)
+#define IM_EXEEXT ".exe"
+#else /* !defined(G_PLATFORM_WIN32) && !defined(G_WITH_CYGWIN) */
+#define IM_EXEEXT ""
+#endif /* defined(G_PLATFORM_WIN32) || defined(G_WITH_CYGWIN) */
 
 #define IM_SIZEOF_HEADER VIPS_SIZEOF_HEADER
 
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index e53e7d46..d6e18a91 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ libvips/include/vips/region.h
 libvips/include/vips/resample.h
 libvips/include/vips/sbuf.h
 libvips/include/vips/semaphore.h
-libvips/include/vips/soname.h
 libvips/include/vips/thread.h
 libvips/include/vips/threadpool.h
 libvips/include/vips/transform.h