diff --git a/src/modbus-version.h.in b/src/modbus-version.h.in
index d2dcac8e3..39f192517 100644
--- a/src/modbus-version.h.in
+++ b/src/modbus-version.h.in
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@
 #define LIBMODBUS_VERSION_STRING "@LIBMODBUS_VERSION@"
 
 /* Numerically encoded version, like 0x010203 */
-#define LIBMODBUS_VERSION_HEX ((LIBMODBUS_VERSION_MAJOR << 24) |  \
-                               (LIBMODBUS_VERSION_MINOR << 16) |  \
-                               (LIBMODBUS_VERSION_MICRO << 8))
+#define LIBMODBUS_VERSION_HEX ((LIBMODBUS_VERSION_MAJOR << 16) |  \
+                               (LIBMODBUS_VERSION_MINOR <<  8) |  \
+                               (LIBMODBUS_VERSION_MICRO <<  0))
 
 /* Evaluates to True if the version is greater than @major, @minor and @micro
  */