diff --git a/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c b/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c
index e7869bf11..2d6f2399a 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c
+++ b/checkpolicy/checkmodule.c
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 #include <sepol/policydb/sidtab.h>
 
 #include "queue.h"
-#include "checkpolicy.h"
 #include "parse_util.h"
 
 static sidtab_t sidtab;
@@ -43,9 +42,6 @@ static int handle_unknown = SEPOL_DENY_UNKNOWN;
 static const char *txtfile = "policy.conf";
 static const char *binfile = "policy";
 
-static unsigned int policy_type = POLICY_BASE;
-unsigned int policyvers = MOD_POLICYDB_VERSION_MAX;
-
 static int read_binary_policy(policydb_t * p, const char *file, const char *progname)
 {
 	int fd;
@@ -107,7 +103,7 @@ static int read_binary_policy(policydb_t * p, const char *file, const char *prog
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int write_binary_policy(policydb_t * p, FILE *outfp)
+static int write_binary_policy(policydb_t * p, FILE *outfp, unsigned int policy_type, unsigned int policyvers)
 {
 	struct policy_file pf;
 
@@ -150,6 +146,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	const char *file = txtfile, *outfile = NULL;
 	unsigned int binary = 0, cil = 0, disable_neverallow = 0;
+	unsigned int policy_type = POLICY_BASE;
+	unsigned int policyvers = MOD_POLICYDB_VERSION_MAX;
 	int ch;
 	int show_version = 0;
 	policydb_t modpolicydb;
@@ -279,6 +277,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		modpolicydb.policy_type = policy_type;
 		modpolicydb.mls = mlspol;
 		modpolicydb.handle_unknown = handle_unknown;
+		modpolicydb.policyvers = policyvers;
 
 		if (read_source_policy(&modpolicydb, file, argv[0]) == -1) {
 			exit(1);
@@ -343,7 +342,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 
 		if (!cil) {
-			if (write_binary_policy(&modpolicydb, outfp) != 0) {
+			if (write_binary_policy(&modpolicydb, outfp, policy_type, policyvers) != 0) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "%s:  error writing %s\n", argv[0], outfile);
 				exit(1);
 			}
diff --git a/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c b/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c
index d7cafaa4a..ede2b6ad7 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c
+++ b/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.c
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@
 #include <sepol/policydb/link.h>
 
 #include "queue.h"
-#include "checkpolicy.h"
 #include "parse_util.h"
 
 static policydb_t policydb;
@@ -103,8 +102,6 @@ static int handle_unknown = SEPOL_DENY_UNKNOWN;
 static const char *txtfile = "policy.conf";
 static const char *binfile = "policy";
 
-unsigned int policyvers = 0;
-
 static __attribute__((__noreturn__)) void usage(const char *progname)
 {
 	printf
@@ -395,6 +392,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	unsigned int binary = 0, debug = 0, sort = 0, cil = 0, conf = 0, optimize = 0, disable_neverallow = 0;
 	struct val_to_name v;
 	int ret, ch, fd, target = SEPOL_TARGET_SELINUX;
+	unsigned int policyvers = 0;
 	unsigned int nel, uret;
 	struct stat sb;
 	void *map;
@@ -613,6 +611,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* Let sepol know if we are dealing with MLS support */
 		parse_policy.mls = mlspol;
 		parse_policy.handle_unknown = handle_unknown;
+		parse_policy.policyvers = policyvers ? policyvers : POLICYDB_VERSION_MAX;
 
 		policydbp = &parse_policy;
 
@@ -637,11 +636,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				fprintf(stderr, "Error while expanding policy\n");
 				exit(1);
 			}
+			policydb.policyvers = policyvers ? policyvers : POLICYDB_VERSION_MAX;
 			policydb_destroy(policydbp);
 			policydbp = &policydb;
 		}
-
-		policydbp->policyvers = policyvers ? policyvers : POLICYDB_VERSION_MAX;
 	}
 
 	if (policydb_load_isids(&policydb, &sidtab))
diff --git a/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.h b/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.h
deleted file mode 100644
index f127687e7..000000000
--- a/checkpolicy/checkpolicy.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef _CHECKPOLICY_H_
-#define _CHECKPOLICY_H_
-
-extern unsigned int policyvers;
-
-#endif
diff --git a/checkpolicy/fuzz/checkpolicy-fuzzer.c b/checkpolicy/fuzz/checkpolicy-fuzzer.c
index 6c5ce02f4..ddb432608 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/fuzz/checkpolicy-fuzzer.c
+++ b/checkpolicy/fuzz/checkpolicy-fuzzer.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
 	parsepolicydb.policy_type = POLICY_BASE;
 	parsepolicydb.mls = mls;
 	parsepolicydb.handle_unknown = DENY_UNKNOWN;
+	parsepolicydb.policyvers = policyvers;
 	policydb_set_target_platform(&parsepolicydb, platform);
 
 	if (read_source_policy(&parsepolicydb, data, size))
diff --git a/checkpolicy/policy_define.c b/checkpolicy/policy_define.c
index 1c019a3b8..aa2ac2e64 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/policy_define.c
+++ b/checkpolicy/policy_define.c
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
 #include <sepol/policydb/hierarchy.h>
 #include <sepol/policydb/polcaps.h>
 #include "queue.h"
-#include "checkpolicy.h"
 #include "module_compiler.h"
 #include "policy_define.h"
 
diff --git a/checkpolicy/policy_parse.y b/checkpolicy/policy_parse.y
index 1b275ebc1..c57a988ac 100644
--- a/checkpolicy/policy_parse.y
+++ b/checkpolicy/policy_parse.y
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
 #include <sepol/policydb/hierarchy.h>
 #include <sepol/policydb/polcaps.h>
 #include "queue.h"
-#include "checkpolicy.h"
 #include "module_compiler.h"
 #include "policy_define.h"