diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c6a96ce9c9..4530fa6acd 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.16.3) # Oldest Ubuntu LTS (20.04 currently)
 
 project(libheif LANGUAGES C CXX VERSION 1.17.0)
 
+# compatibility_version is never allowed to be decreased for any specific SONAME.
+# Libtool in the libheif-1.15.1 release had set it to 17.0.0, so we have to use this for the v1.x.y versions.
+# With v2.0.0, we can reset this to more closely follow the real version name, i.e. "2.0.0".
+# CMake 3.17.0 added "MACHO_COMPATIBILITY_VERSION", but we are currently stuck at cmake 3.16.3.
+set(MACOS_COMPATIBLE_VERSION "17.0.0")
+
 # https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.1/policy/CMP0054.html
 cmake_policy(VERSION 3.0...3.22)
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
diff --git a/libheif/CMakeLists.txt b/libheif/CMakeLists.txt
index ecf1ddd9c7..93c65be39f 100644
--- a/libheif/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libheif/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -100,13 +100,10 @@ set_target_properties(heif
         VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION}
         SOVERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR})
 
-# compatibility_version defaults to 1.0.0 and is never allowed to be
-# decreased for any specific SONAME. Libtool in the libheif-1.15.1
-# release had set it to 17.0.0, so force it higher here.
 if (APPLE)
     set_target_properties(heif
             PROPERTIES
-	    LINK_FLAGS "-Wl,-compatibility_version,18.0.0")
+	    LINK_FLAGS "-Wl,-compatibility_version,${MACOS_COMPATIBLE_VERSION}")
 endif ()
 
 target_compile_definitions(heif