diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/meson.build
index e0966869e8..a4071071bd 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/meson.build
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ vulkan_plugin_enum_headers = files(
 )
 
 extra_deps = []
+extra_args = []
 if vulkan_conf.get('GST_VULKAN_HAVE_VIDEO_EXTENSIONS') == 1
   vulkan_sources += files('vkh264dec.c')
   extra_deps += gstcodecs_dep
+  extra_args += ['-DGST_USE_UNSTABLE_API']
 endif
 
 vulkan_plugin_enums = gnome.mkenums_simple('gstvulkan-plugins-enumtypes',
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ vulkan_plugin_enums = gnome.mkenums_simple('gstvulkan-plugins-enumtypes',
 
 gstvulkan_plugin = library('gstvulkan',
   vulkan_sources, vulkan_compiled_shader_sources, vulkan_plugin_enums,
-  c_args : gst_plugins_bad_args,
+  c_args : gst_plugins_bad_args + extra_args,
   objc_args : gst_plugins_bad_args,
   link_args : noseh_link_args,
   include_directories : [configinc],
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/vkh264dec.h b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/vkh264dec.h
index d2a4f972dc..35481c1175 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/vkh264dec.h
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/ext/vulkan/vkh264dec.h
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#define GST_USE_UNSTABLE_API
 #include <gst/codecs/gsth264decoder.h>
-#undef GST_USE_UNSTABLE_API
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS