diff --git a/src/Makefile-st.am b/src/Makefile-st.am
index 721253ed4..db6cd8f12 100644
--- a/src/Makefile-st.am
+++ b/src/Makefile-st.am
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ st_cflags =					\
 	-DLIBDIR=\""$(libdir)"\"		\
 	-DG_LOG_DOMAIN=\"St\"			\
 	-DST_COMPILATION			\
+	-DCLUTTER_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API	\
+	-DCOGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API		\
 	-DPACKAGE_DATA_DIR=\"$(pkgdatadir)\"	\
 	$(ST_CFLAGS)				\
 	$(NULL)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index da61ad5f3..abffd8902 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ include Makefile-hotplug-sniffer.am
 gnome_shell_cflags =				\
 	$(GNOME_SHELL_CFLAGS)			\
 	-I$(srcdir)/tray			\
+	-DCLUTTER_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API	\
+	-DCOGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API		\
 	-DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\"		\
 	-DLOCALEDIR=\"$(datadir)/locale\" 	\
 	-DDATADIR=\"$(datadir)\"		\
diff --git a/src/gnome-shell-plugin.c b/src/gnome-shell-plugin.c
index b1a704ace..f7dd1be60 100644
--- a/src/gnome-shell-plugin.c
+++ b/src/gnome-shell-plugin.c
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#define CLUTTER_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
-#define COGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
 #include <clutter/clutter.h>
 #include <clutter/x11/clutter-x11.h>
 #include <gjs/gjs.h>
diff --git a/src/shell-glsl-quad.c b/src/shell-glsl-quad.c
index 22edc9238..c37f73838 100644
--- a/src/shell-glsl-quad.c
+++ b/src/shell-glsl-quad.c
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#define CLUTTER_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
-#define COGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
-
 #include <cogl/cogl.h>
 #include "shell-glsl-quad.h"
 
diff --git a/src/shell-invert-lightness-effect.h b/src/shell-invert-lightness-effect.h
index a7bedd5d1..3d7cf3a6d 100644
--- a/src/shell-invert-lightness-effect.h
+++ b/src/shell-invert-lightness-effect.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #ifndef __SHELL_INVERT_LIGHTNESS_EFFECT_H__
 #define __SHELL_INVERT_LIGHTNESS_EFFECT_H__
 
-#define COGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
 #include <clutter/clutter.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
diff --git a/src/shell-screenshot.c b/src/shell-screenshot.c
index 02d4e1503..f637aa956 100644
--- a/src/shell-screenshot.c
+++ b/src/shell-screenshot.c
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 /* -*- mode: C; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*- */
 
-#define COGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
-#define CLUTTER_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
-
 #include <clutter/clutter.h>
 #include <cogl/cogl.h>
 #include <meta/display.h>
diff --git a/src/st/st-texture-cache.c b/src/st/st-texture-cache.c
index 51f54498f..ff65915d6 100644
--- a/src/st/st-texture-cache.c
+++ b/src/st/st-texture-cache.c
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#define COGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API /* for cogl_framebuffer_allocate */
-
 #include "st-texture-cache.h"
 #include "st-private.h"
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>