diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index e2ea9f1d8..258b01d06 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ dpdk_conf.set('RTE_COMPILE_TIME_CPUFLAGS', ','.join(compile_time_cpuflags))
 # set the install path for the drivers
 dpdk_conf.set_quoted('RTE_EAL_PMD_PATH', eal_pmd_path)
 
-install_headers('rte_config.h', subdir: get_option('include_subdir_arch'))
+install_headers(['rte_config.h', 'rte_compatibility_defines.h'],
+		subdir: get_option('include_subdir_arch'))
 
 # enable VFIO only if it is linux OS
 dpdk_conf.set('RTE_EAL_VFIO', is_linux)
diff --git a/config/rte_compatibility_defines.h b/config/rte_compatibility_defines.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47600052b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/rte_compatibility_defines.h
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright(c) 2017 Intel Corporation
+ */
+
+#ifndef _RTE_CONFIG_H_
+#error "This file should only be included via rte_config.h"
+#endif
+
+/*
+ * NOTE: these defines are for compatibility only and will be removed in a
+ * future DPDK release.
+ */
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_BITRATESTATS
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_BITRATE
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_LATENCYSTATS
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_LATENCY_STATS
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_DPAAX_COMMON
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_COMMON_DPAAX
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_VMBUS_BUS
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_VMBUS
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_BUCKET_MEMPOOL
+#define RTE_DRIVER_MEMPOOL_BUCKET
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_RING_MEMPOOL
+#define RTE_DRIVER_MEMPOOL_RING
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_STACK_MEMPOOL
+#define RTE_DRIVER_MEMPOOL_STACK
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_AF_PACKET_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_AF_PACKET
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_AF_XDP_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_AF_XDP
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_BOND_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_BOND
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_E1000_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_EM_PMD
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_E1000_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_IGB_PMD
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_FAILSAFE_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_FAILSAFE
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_KNI_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_KNI
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_LIQUIDIO_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_LIO_PMD
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_MEMIF_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_MEMIF
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_NULL_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_NULL
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_PCAP_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_PCAP
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_RING_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_RING
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_SFC_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_SFC_EFX_PMD
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_SOFTNIC_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_SOFTNIC
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_SZEDATA2_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_SZEDATA2
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_TAP_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_TAP
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_THUNDERX_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_THUNDERX_NICVF_PMD
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_VHOST_PMD
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_VHOST
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_ARMV8
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_ARMV8_CRYPTO
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_MVSAM
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_MVSAM_CRYPTO
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_OCTEONTX_COMPRESS
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_OCTEONTX_ZIPVF
+#endif
+
+#ifdef RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_OCTEONTX_EVENTDEV
+#define RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_OCTEONTX_SSOVF
+#endif
+
diff --git a/config/rte_config.h b/config/rte_config.h
index 03d90d78b..1bebab335 100644
--- a/config/rte_config.h
+++ b/config/rte_config.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define _RTE_CONFIG_H_
 
 #include <rte_build_config.h>
+#include <rte_compatibility_defines.h>
 
 /* legacy defines */
 #ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_LINUX
diff --git a/drivers/compress/meson.build b/drivers/compress/meson.build
index ee883c3f9..bea1720a0 100644
--- a/drivers/compress/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/compress/meson.build
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ endif
 drivers = ['isal', 'octeontx', 'qat', 'zlib']
 
 std_deps = ['compressdev'] # compressdev pulls in all other needed deps
-config_flag_fmt = 'RTE_LIBRTE_@0@_PMD'
+config_flag_fmt = 'RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_@0@'
 driver_name_fmt = 'rte_pmd_@0@'
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/meson.build b/drivers/crypto/meson.build
index a2423507a..25b99c19c 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/crypto/meson.build
@@ -26,5 +26,5 @@ drivers = ['aesni_gcm',
 	   'zuc']
 
 std_deps = ['cryptodev'] # cryptodev pulls in all other needed deps
-config_flag_fmt = 'RTE_LIBRTE_@0@_PMD'
+config_flag_fmt = 'RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_@0@'
 driver_name_fmt = 'rte_pmd_@0@'
diff --git a/drivers/event/meson.build b/drivers/event/meson.build
index ebe76a75c..f2a343147 100644
--- a/drivers/event/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/event/meson.build
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ if not (toolchain == 'gcc' and cc.version().version_compare('<4.8.6') and
 	drivers += 'octeontx'
 endif
 std_deps = ['eventdev', 'kvargs']
-config_flag_fmt = 'RTE_LIBRTE_@0@_EVENTDEV_PMD'
+config_flag_fmt = 'RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_@0@_EVENTDEV'
 driver_name_fmt = 'rte_pmd_@0@_event'
diff --git a/drivers/meson.build b/drivers/meson.build
index 5f9526557..b5ac483d3 100644
--- a/drivers/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/meson.build
@@ -117,6 +117,21 @@ foreach subpath:subdirs
 				fmt_name = name
 			endif
 			dpdk_conf.set(config_flag_fmt.format(fmt_name.to_upper()),1)
+			# for driver compatibility, since we changed the
+			# default to match that of make. Remove in future release
+			# after following deprecation process
+			if config_flag_fmt.contains('_PMD_@0@') and (class == 'crypto'
+					or class == 'compress'
+					or class == 'event')
+				alt_flag_fmt = '_@0@_PMD'.join(
+						config_flag_fmt.split('_PMD_@0@'))
+				if config_flag_fmt.contains('EVENTDEV')
+					alt_flag_fmt = '_@0@_EVENTDEV_PMD'.join(
+						config_flag_fmt.split('_PMD_@0@_EVENTDEV'))
+				endif
+				dpdk_conf.set(alt_flag_fmt.format(
+						fmt_name.to_upper()), 1)
+			endif
 			lib_name = driver_name_fmt.format(fmt_name)
 
 			dpdk_extra_ldflags += pkgconfig_extra_libs
