diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9e73f82e0d863..23d0494e48bc7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1252,8 +1252,11 @@ endef
 
 define filechk_version.h
 	echo \#define LINUX_VERSION_CODE $(shell                         \
-	expr $(VERSION) \* 65536 + 0$(PATCHLEVEL) \* 256 + 0$(SUBLEVEL)); \
-	echo '#define KERNEL_VERSION(a,b,c) (((a) << 16) + ((b) << 8) + (c))'
+	expr $(VERSION) \* 16777216 + 0$(PATCHLEVEL) \* 65536 + 0$(SUBLEVEL)); \
+	echo \#define LINUX_VERSION_MAJOR $(VERSION); \
+	echo \#define LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL $(PATCHLEVEL); \
+	echo \#define LINUX_VERSION_SUBLEVEL $(SUBLEVEL); \
+	echo '#define KERNEL_VERSION(a,b,c) (((a) << 24) + ((b) << 16) + (c))'
 endef
 
 $(version_h): FORCE
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c
index ca6f2fc39ea0a..5c520214385cd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/main.c
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ static void mlx5_set_driver_version(struct mlx5_core_dev *dev)
 	remaining_size = max_t(int, 0, driver_ver_sz - strlen(string));
 
 	snprintf(string + strlen(string), remaining_size, "%u.%u.%u",
-		 (u8)((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 16) & 0xff), (u8)((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8) & 0xff),
-		 (u16)(LINUX_VERSION_CODE & 0xffff));
+		(u8)(LINUX_VERSION_MAJOR), (u8)(LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL),
+		(u16)(LINUX_VERSION_SUBLEVEL));
 
 	/*Send the command*/
 	MLX5_SET(set_driver_version_in, in, opcode,
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/gdth.c b/drivers/scsi/gdth.c
index 5d801388680b0..f43bd53f7a1e6 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/gdth.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/gdth.c
@@ -3830,9 +3830,9 @@ static int gdth_ioctl(struct file *filep, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
       { 
         gdth_ioctl_osvers osv; 
 
-        osv.version = (u8)(LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 16);
-        osv.subversion = (u8)(LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8);
-        osv.revision = (u16)(LINUX_VERSION_CODE & 0xff);
+        osv.version = LINUX_VERSION_MAJOR;
+        osv.subversion = LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL;
+        osv.revision = LINUX_VERSION_SUBLEVEL;
         if (copy_to_user(argp, &osv, sizeof(gdth_ioctl_osvers)))
                 return -EFAULT;
         break;
diff --git a/drivers/usb/core/hcd.c b/drivers/usb/core/hcd.c
index ad5a0f405a75c..3f0381344221e 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/core/hcd.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/core/hcd.c
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(usb_kill_urb_queue);
  */
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-#define KERNEL_REL	bin2bcd(((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 16) & 0x0ff))
-#define KERNEL_VER	bin2bcd(((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8) & 0x0ff))
+#define KERNEL_REL	bin2bcd(LINUX_VERSION_MAJOR)
+#define KERNEL_VER	bin2bcd(LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL)
 
 /* usb 3.1 root hub device descriptor */
 static const u8 usb31_rh_dev_descriptor[18] = {
diff --git a/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/aspeed-vhub/hub.c b/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/aspeed-vhub/hub.c
index 6497185ec4e7a..396a7d8393cf6 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/aspeed-vhub/hub.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/gadget/udc/aspeed-vhub/hub.c
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@
  *    - Make vid/did overridable
  *    - make it look like usb1 if usb1 mode forced
  */
-#define KERNEL_REL	bin2bcd(((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 16) & 0x0ff))
-#define KERNEL_VER	bin2bcd(((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8) & 0x0ff))
+#define KERNEL_REL	bin2bcd(LINUX_VERSION_MAJOR)
+#define KERNEL_VER	bin2bcd(LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL)
 
 enum {
 	AST_VHUB_STR_INDEX_MAX = 4,
diff --git a/include/linux/usb/composite.h b/include/linux/usb/composite.h
index a2d229ab63ba5..7531ce7233747 100644
--- a/include/linux/usb/composite.h
+++ b/include/linux/usb/composite.h
@@ -573,8 +573,8 @@ static inline u16 get_default_bcdDevice(void)
 {
 	u16 bcdDevice;
 
-	bcdDevice = bin2bcd((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 16 & 0xff)) << 8;
-	bcdDevice |= bin2bcd((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8 & 0xff));
+	bcdDevice = bin2bcd(LINUX_VERSION_MAJOR) << 8;
+	bcdDevice |= bin2bcd(LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL);
 	return bcdDevice;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/sys.c b/kernel/sys.c
index 51f00fe20e4d1..c2225bd405d58 100644
--- a/kernel/sys.c
+++ b/kernel/sys.c
@@ -1243,7 +1243,7 @@ static int override_release(char __user *release, size_t len)
 				break;
 			rest++;
 		}
-		v = ((LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8) & 0xff) + 60;
+		v = LINUX_VERSION_PATCHLEVEL + 60;
 		copy = clamp_t(size_t, len, 1, sizeof(buf));
 		copy = scnprintf(buf, copy, "2.6.%u%s", v, rest);
 		ret = copy_to_user(release, buf, copy + 1);
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-example.c b/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-example.c
index ab4b98b3165db..a56bf381335e9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-example.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-example.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 #ifndef LINUX_VERSION_CODE
 # error Need LINUX_VERSION_CODE
-# error Example: for 4.2 kernel, put 'clang-opt="-DLINUX_VERSION_CODE=0x40200" into llvm section of ~/.perfconfig'
+# error Example: for 4.2 kernel, put 'clang-opt="-DLINUX_VERSION_CODE=0x4020000" into llvm section of ~/.perfconfig'
 #endif
 #define BPF_ANY 0
 #define BPF_MAP_TYPE_ARRAY 2
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-kbuild.c b/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-kbuild.c
index 219673aa278fb..21663295d5b5a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-kbuild.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-kbuild.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 #ifndef LINUX_VERSION_CODE
 # error Need LINUX_VERSION_CODE
-# error Example: for 4.2 kernel, put 'clang-opt="-DLINUX_VERSION_CODE=0x40200" into llvm section of ~/.perfconfig'
+# error Example: for 4.2 kernel, put 'clang-opt="-DLINUX_VERSION_CODE=0x4020000" into llvm section of ~/.perfconfig'
 #endif
 #define SEC(NAME) __attribute__((section(NAME), used))
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-prologue.c b/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-prologue.c
index bd83d364cf30d..8db19e70813cc 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-prologue.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/bpf-script-test-prologue.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 #ifndef LINUX_VERSION_CODE
 # error Need LINUX_VERSION_CODE
-# error Example: for 4.2 kernel, put 'clang-opt="-DLINUX_VERSION_CODE=0x40200" into llvm section of ~/.perfconfig'
+# error Example: for 4.2 kernel, put 'clang-opt="-DLINUX_VERSION_CODE=0x4020000" into llvm section of ~/.perfconfig'
 #endif
 #define SEC(NAME) __attribute__((section(NAME), used))
 
