diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 666afa5d012d1..d02584803c28a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -96,10 +96,6 @@ libsecp256k1_la_CPPFLAGS = $(SECP_INCLUDES) $(SECP_CONFIG_DEFINES)
 libsecp256k1_la_LIBADD = $(SECP_LIBS) $(COMMON_LIB) $(PRECOMPUTED_LIB)
 libsecp256k1_la_LDFLAGS = -no-undefined -version-info $(LIB_VERSION_CURRENT):$(LIB_VERSION_REVISION):$(LIB_VERSION_AGE)
 
-if VALGRIND_ENABLED
-libsecp256k1_la_CPPFLAGS += -DVALGRIND
-endif
-
 noinst_PROGRAMS =
 if USE_BENCHMARK
 noinst_PROGRAMS += bench bench_internal bench_ecmult
@@ -123,10 +119,10 @@ noverify_tests_CPPFLAGS = $(SECP_INCLUDES) $(SECP_TEST_INCLUDES) $(SECP_CONFIG_D
 noverify_tests_LDADD = $(SECP_LIBS) $(SECP_TEST_LIBS) $(COMMON_LIB) $(PRECOMPUTED_LIB)
 noverify_tests_LDFLAGS = -static
 if VALGRIND_ENABLED
-noverify_tests_CPPFLAGS += -DVALGRIND
 noinst_PROGRAMS += valgrind_ctime_test
 valgrind_ctime_test_SOURCES = src/valgrind_ctime_test.c
 valgrind_ctime_test_LDADD = libsecp256k1.la $(SECP_LIBS) $(COMMON_LIB)
+valgrind_ctime_test_CPPFLAGS = $(SECP_CONFIG_DEFINES)
 endif
 if !ENABLE_COVERAGE
 TESTS += tests
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d389a10866b1b..88b0ee580a5bb 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ case $set_ecmult_gen_precision in
 esac
 
 if test x"$enable_valgrind" = x"yes"; then
-  SECP_INCLUDES="$SECP_INCLUDES $VALGRIND_CPPFLAGS"
+  SECP_CONFIG_DEFINES="$SECP_CONFIG_DEFINES $VALGRIND_CPPFLAGS -DVALGRIND"
 fi
 
 # Add -Werror and similar flags passed from the outside (for testing, e.g., in CI).