diff --git a/.ci/linux-build.sh b/.ci/linux-build.sh
index fdb57876211..3146d9ccd89 100755
--- a/.ci/linux-build.sh
+++ b/.ci/linux-build.sh
@@ -95,8 +95,6 @@ OPTS="$OPTS -Ddefault_library=$DEF_LIB"
 OPTS="$OPTS -Dbuildtype=$buildtype"
 if [ "$STDATOMIC" = "true" ]; then
 	OPTS="$OPTS -Denable_stdatomic=true"
-else
-	OPTS="$OPTS -Dcheck_includes=true"
 fi
 if [ "$MINI" = "true" ]; then
     OPTS="$OPTS -Denable_drivers=net/null"
@@ -176,13 +174,16 @@ if [ "$RUN_TESTS" = "true" ]; then
     [ "$failed" != "true" ]
 fi
 
-# Test examples compilation with an installed dpdk
+# Test headers and examples compilation with an installed dpdk
 if [ "$BUILD_EXAMPLES" = "true" ]; then
     [ -d install ] || DESTDIR=$(pwd)/install meson install -C build
     export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$(dirname $(find $(pwd)/install -name librte_eal.so)):$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
     export PATH=$(dirname $(find $(pwd)/install -name dpdk-devbind.py)):$PATH
     export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$(dirname $(find $(pwd)/install -name libdpdk.pc)):$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
     export PKGCONF="pkg-config --define-prefix"
+
+    make -C buildtools/chkincs O=build/buildtools/chkincs
+
     find build/examples -maxdepth 1 -type f -name "dpdk-*" |
     while read target; do
         target=${target%%:*}
diff --git a/buildtools/chkincs/Makefile b/buildtools/chkincs/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..838819c617a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildtools/chkincs/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright (c) 2024 Red Hat, Inc.
+
+ifeq ($(V),)
+Q ?= @
+else
+Q =
+endif
+
+O ?= build
+
+PKGCONF ?= pkg-config
+
+ifneq ($(shell $(PKGCONF) --exists libdpdk && echo 0),0)
+$(error "no installation of DPDK found")
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(I),)
+
+.PHONY: headers_list
+.ONESHELL:
+headers_list:
+	$(Q)for dir in $$($(PKGCONF) --cflags-only-I libdpdk); do
+		dir=$${dir##-I}
+		[ -e $$dir/rte_build_config.h ] || continue
+		$(MAKE) I="$$dir" O="$(O)"
+		break
+	done
+else
+
+HEADERS := $(shell find $(I) -name "*.h" | grep -vE $(I)'/(generic|internal)/')
+SRCS := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%.c, $(HEADERS))
+.PRECIOUS: $(SRCS)
+
+PC_FILE := $(shell $(PKGCONF) --path libdpdk 2>/dev/null)
+CFLAGS = $(shell $(PKGCONF) --cflags libdpdk) -Wall -Wextra -Werror
+LDFLAGS = $(shell $(PKGCONF) --libs libdpdk)
+
+OBJS := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%.o, $(HEADERS))
+OBJS_EXP := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%+exp.o, $(HEADERS))
+OBJS_ALL := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%+all.o, $(HEADERS))
+
+all: $(OBJS) $(OBJS_EXP) $(OBJS_ALL)
+
+$(O):
+	$(Q)mkdir -p $@
+
+$(O)/%.c: $(I)/%.h $(O) gen_c_file_for_header.py Makefile
+	$(Q)python3 gen_c_file_for_header.py $< $@
+
+$(O)/%.o: $(O)/%.c Makefile $(PC_FILE)
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c $<
+
+$(O)/%+exp.o: $(O)/%.c Makefile $(PC_FILE)
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -DALLOW_EXPERIMENTAL_API -o $@ -c $<
+
+$(O)/%+all.o: $(O)/%.c Makefile $(PC_FILE)
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -DALLOW_EXPERIMENTAL_API -DALLOW_INTERNAL_API -o $@ -c $<
+
+CXXFLAGS = $(shell $(PKGCONF) --cflags libdpdk) -Wall -Wextra -Werror
+
+OBJS_CPP := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%.cpp.o, $(HEADERS))
+OBJS_CPP_EXP := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%.cpp+exp.o, $(HEADERS))
+OBJS_CPP_ALL := $(patsubst $(I)/%.h, $(O)/%.cpp+all.o, $(HEADERS))
+
+all: $(OBJS_CPP) $(OBJS_CPP_EXP) $(OBJS_CPP_ALL)
+
+$(O)/%.cpp.o: $(O)/%.c Makefile $(PC_FILE)
+	$(Q)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -o $@ -c $<
+
+$(O)/%.cpp+exp.o: $(O)/%.c Makefile $(PC_FILE)
+	$(Q)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -DALLOW_EXPERIMENTAL_API -o $@ -c $<
+
+$(O)/%.cpp+all.o: $(O)/%.c Makefile $(PC_FILE)
+	$(Q)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -DALLOW_EXPERIMENTAL_API -DALLOW_INTERNAL_API -o $@ -c $<
+
+endif
diff --git a/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh b/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh
index 4fff1f71777..c3cebead70a 100755
--- a/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh
+++ b/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ generic_isa='nehalem'
 if ! check_cc_flags "-march=$generic_isa" ; then
 	generic_isa='corei7'
 fi
-build build-x86-generic cc skipABI -Dcheck_includes=true \
+build build-x86-generic cc skipABI \
 	-Dlibdir=lib -Dcpu_instruction_set=$generic_isa $use_shared
 
 # 32-bit with default compiler
@@ -318,9 +318,11 @@ if [ "$examples" = 'all' ]; then
 	done | sort -u |
 	tr '\n' ' ')
 fi
-# if pkg-config defines the necessary flags, test building some examples
+# if pkg-config defines the necessary flags, check headers and test building some examples
 if pkg-config --define-prefix libdpdk >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 	export PKGCONF="pkg-config --define-prefix"
+	echo "## Checking exported headers"
+	$MAKE -C buildtools/chkincs O=$build_path/buildtools/chkincs -j
 	for example in $examples; do
 		echo "## Building $example"
 		[ $example = helloworld ] && static=static || static= # save disk space