diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dfdd491d5..538ee4790 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ if (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC AND CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 5.0)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "GCC version must be at least 5.0!")
 endif()
 
+message(STATUS "xgboost VERSION: ${xgboost_VERSION}")
+set(XGBOOST_DEFINITIONS
+  ${XGBOOST_DEFINITIONS}
+  -DXGBOOST_VER_MAJOR=${xgboost_VERSION_MAJOR}
+  -DXGBOOST_VER_MINOR=${xgboost_VERSION_MINOR}
+  -DXGBOOST_VER_PATCH=${xgboost_VERSION_PATCH})
 set_default_configuration_release()
 
 #-- Options
diff --git a/R-package/CMakeLists.txt b/R-package/CMakeLists.txt
index 35971bb6f..b11447251 100644
--- a/R-package/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/R-package/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ set_target_properties(
   CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON
   POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 
-set(XGBOOST_DEFINITIONS ${R_DEFINITIONS} PARENT_SCOPE)
+set(XGBOOST_DEFINITIONS "${XGBOOST_DEFINITIONS};${R_DEFINITIONS}" PARENT_SCOPE)
 set(XGBOOST_OBJ_SOURCES $<TARGET_OBJECTS:xgboost-r> PARENT_SCOPE)
 set(LINKED_LIBRARIES_PRIVATE ${LINKED_LIBRARIES_PRIVATE} ${LIBR_CORE_LIBRARY} PARENT_SCOPE)
diff --git a/tests/cpp/test_learner.cc b/tests/cpp/test_learner.cc
index ebd01a6f5..46d7bc738 100644
--- a/tests/cpp/test_learner.cc
+++ b/tests/cpp/test_learner.cc
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ TEST(Learner, Basic) {
   learner->SetParams(args);
 
   delete mat_ptr;
+
+  auto major = XGBOOST_VER_MAJOR;
+  auto minor = XGBOOST_VER_MINOR;
+  auto patch = XGBOOST_VER_PATCH;
+
+  static_assert(std::is_integral<decltype(major)>::value, "Wrong major version type");
+  static_assert(std::is_integral<decltype(minor)>::value, "Wrong minor version type");
+  static_assert(std::is_integral<decltype(patch)>::value, "Wrong patch version type");
 }
 
 TEST(Learner, CheckGroup) {