diff --git a/align/Makefile.am b/align/Makefile.am
index 04eea1666..833739ae0 100644
--- a/align/Makefile.am
+++ b/align/Makefile.am
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ virt_alignment_scan_SOURCES = \
 
 virt_alignment_scan_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-DGUESTFS_WARN_DEPRECATED=1 \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1 \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/df \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/fish \
diff --git a/df/Makefile.am b/df/Makefile.am
index 256263d37..83879cdc9 100644
--- a/df/Makefile.am
+++ b/df/Makefile.am
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ virt_df_SOURCES = \
 
 virt_df_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-DGUESTFS_WARN_DEPRECATED=1 \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1 \
 	-DLOCALEBASEDIR=\""$(datadir)/locale"\" \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/fish \
diff --git a/tests/protocol/Makefile.am b/tests/protocol/Makefile.am
index 8494fa07f..4cdd96fa3 100644
--- a/tests/protocol/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/protocol/Makefile.am
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ check_PROGRAMS = test-error-messages
 test_error_messages_SOURCES = \
 	test-error-messages.c
 test_error_messages_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1 \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/gnulib/lib -I$(top_builddir)/gnulib/lib \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src
 test_error_messages_CFLAGS = \
diff --git a/tests/qemu/Makefile.am b/tests/qemu/Makefile.am
index 091361fba..fe45d8873 100644
--- a/tests/qemu/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/qemu/Makefile.am
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ qemu_boot_SOURCES = \
 	../../df/estimate-max-threads.h \
 	qemu-boot.c
 qemu_boot_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1 \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/gnulib/lib -I$(top_builddir)/gnulib/lib \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/df
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ qemu_boot_LDADD = \
 qemu_speed_test_SOURCES = \
 	qemu-speed-test.c
 qemu_speed_test_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1 \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/gnulib/lib -I$(top_builddir)/gnulib/lib \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/df
diff --git a/tests/regressions/Makefile.am b/tests/regressions/Makefile.am
index 3aae57b0e..ec9755333 100644
--- a/tests/regressions/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/regressions/Makefile.am
@@ -130,8 +130,7 @@ rhbz914931_LDADD = \
 
 rhbz1055452_SOURCES = rhbz1055452.c
 rhbz1055452_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src
 rhbz1055452_CFLAGS = \
 	-pthread \
 	$(WARN_CFLAGS) $(WERROR_CFLAGS)
@@ -140,8 +139,7 @@ rhbz1055452_LDADD = \
 
 test_big_heap_SOURCES = test-big-heap.c
 test_big_heap_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src \
-	-DGUESTFS_PRIVATE=1
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_builddir)/src
 test_big_heap_CFLAGS = \
 	$(WARN_CFLAGS) $(WERROR_CFLAGS)
 test_big_heap_LDADD = \