diff --git a/src/makevc.env b/src/makevc.env
index 98d6336c57..630efce87e 100644
--- a/src/makevc.env
+++ b/src/makevc.env
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
 RM= erase
 !endif
 
-WXVERSION=240
+# read version numbers
+!include "version.mak"
+WXVERSION=$(wxMAJOR_VERSION)$(wxMINOR_VERSION)$(wxRELEASE_NUMBER_IFUNSTABLE)
 
 # WIN95 means "all systems newer than Win95", i.e. Win9x and NT 4+
 WIN95=1
diff --git a/src/version.mak b/src/version.mak
index 34d7c11d25..40194d0f2c 100644
--- a/src/version.mak
+++ b/src/version.mak
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 ##############################################################################
 
 wxMAJOR_VERSION=2
-wxMINOR_VERSION=5
+wxMINOR_VERSION=4
 wxRELEASE_NUMBER=0
 
 # release number if used in the DLL file names only for the unstable branch as
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ wxRELEASE_NUMBER=0
 # impossible to use them without recompiling the applications (which is the
 # whole goal of keeping them backwards compatible in the first place)
 #
-# as 2.5 is an unstable branch, wxRELEASE_NUMBER_IFUNSTABLE should be set
-# (but when we go to 2.6, it should become empty)
-wxRELEASE_NUMBER_IFUNSTABLE=$(wxRELEASE_NUMBER)
+# As 2.4 is a stable branch, wxRELEASE_NUMBER_IFUNSTABLE should be empty
+# so we end up with DLLs with only "24" in the name.  Unstable branches
+# should set it to $wxRELEASE_NUMBER
+wxRELEASE_NUMBER_IFUNSTABLE=