diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicodec_objects.h b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicodec_objects.h
index 163ebf773f..2d081bde44 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicodec_objects.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicodec_objects.h
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@
 
 #include <gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.h>
 #include <gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder.h>
-#if USE_VP8_DECODER
-#include <va/va_dec_vp8.h>
-#endif
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicompat.h b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicompat.h
index 781e30d610..1e5a302503 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicompat.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapicompat.h
@@ -46,8 +46,41 @@
 #include <va/va_drmcommon.h>
 #endif
 
+/* VA-API < 0.37 doesn't include sub core APIs in va.h */
+#if !VA_CHECK_VERSION(0,37,0)
 #ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_HEVC_H
 # include <va/va_dec_hevc.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_JPEG_H
+# include <va/va_dec_jpeg.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP8_H
+# include <va/va_dec_vp8.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP9_H
+# include <va/va_dec_vp9.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_HEVC_H
+# include <va/va_enc_hevc.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_H264_H
+# include <va/va_enc_h264.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_JPEG_H
+# include <va/va_enc_jpeg.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_MPEG2_H
+# include <va/va_enc_mpeg2.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_VP8_H
+# include <va/va_enc_vp8.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_VP9_H
+# include <va/va_enc_vp9.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_VPP_H
+# include <va/va_vpp.h>
+#endif
+#endif
 
 #endif /* GST_VAAPI_COMPAT_H */
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_jpeg.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_jpeg.c
index bef1eb71f2..51d9aeb1a9 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_jpeg.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_jpeg.c
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@
 #include "gstvaapidisplay_priv.h"
 #include "gstvaapiobject_priv.h"
 
-#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_JPEG_H
-# include <va/va_dec_jpeg.h>
-#endif
-
 #define DEBUG 1
 #include "gstvaapidebug.h"
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp8.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp8.c
index cac5036a18..1503458001 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp8.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp8.c
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@
 #include "gstvaapiobject_priv.h"
 
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
-#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP8_H
-#include <va/va_dec_vp8.h>
-#endif
 
 #define DEBUG 1
 #include "gstvaapidebug.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp9.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp9.c
index 1376834810..c2cc928473 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp9.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapidecoder_vp9.c
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@
 #include "gstvaapiobject_priv.h"
 
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
-#ifdef HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP9_H
-#include <va/va_dec_vp9.h>
-#endif
 
 #define DEBUG 1
 #include "gstvaapidebug.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h264.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h264.c
index dab3c1494a..04560aacf1 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h264.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h264.c
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 
 #include "sysdeps.h"
 #include <va/va.h>
-#include <va/va_enc_h264.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include <gst/codecparsers/gsth264parser.h>
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h265.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h265.c
index 673145c728..5309c22f06 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h265.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_h265.c
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include "sysdeps.h"
 #include <math.h>
 #include <va/va.h>
-#include <va/va_enc_hevc.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include <gst/codecparsers/gsth265parser.h>
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_jpeg.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_jpeg.c
index 73bee563ee..399696c69a 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_jpeg.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_jpeg.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 #include "sysdeps.h"
 #include <va/va.h>
-#include <va/va_enc_jpeg.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include <gst/codecparsers/gstjpegparser.h>
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_mpeg2.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_mpeg2.c
index 04fbd0dccb..1f8b516e81 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_mpeg2.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_mpeg2.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include "sysdeps.h"
 #include <math.h>
 #include <va/va.h>
-#include <va/va_enc_mpeg2.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
 #include "gstvaapiencoder_mpeg2.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp8.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp8.c
index a448df8e3f..088ca1d360 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp8.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp8.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 #include "sysdeps.h"
 #include <va/va.h>
-#include <va/va_enc_vp8.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include <gst/codecparsers/gstvp8parser.h>
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp9.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp9.c
index 64ef1f314c..af433cd899 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp9.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiencoder_vp9.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 #include "sysdeps.h"
 #include <va/va.h>
-#include <va/va_enc_vp9.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include <gst/codecparsers/gstvp9parser.h>
 #include "gstvaapicompat.h"
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapifilter.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapifilter.c
index da6f733ea7..388fff3ded 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapifilter.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapifilter.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "sysdeps.h"
+#include "gstvaapicompat.h"
 #include "gstvaapifilter.h"
 #include "gstvaapiutils.h"
 #include "gstvaapivalue.h"
@@ -29,10 +30,6 @@
 #include "gstvaapisurface_priv.h"
 #include "gstvaapiutils_core.h"
 
-#if USE_VA_VPP
-# include <va/va_vpp.h>
-#endif
-
 #define DEBUG 1
 #include "gstvaapidebug.h"
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiutils.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiutils.c
index c24bed7b6b..616a63839e 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiutils.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiutils.c
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
-#if USE_VA_VPP
-# include <va/va_vpp.h>
-#endif
-
 #define DEBUG 1
 #include "gstvaapidebug.h"
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6f335b372c..310e61d7d3 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -135,6 +135,37 @@ if runcmd.returncode() == 0
   cdata.set('VA_DRIVERS_PATH', '"@0@"'.format(runcmd.stdout().strip()))
 endif
 
+if libva_dep.version().version_compare('< 0.38.0')
+  check_headers = [
+    [USE_H265_DECODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_HEVC_H'],
+    [USE_H265_ENCODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_HEVC_H'],
+    [USE_JPEG_DECODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_JPEG_H'],
+    [USE_JPEG_ENCODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_JPEG_H'],
+    [USE_VP8_DECODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP8_H'],
+    [USE_VP8_ENCODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_VP8_H'],
+    [USE_VP9_DECODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP9_H'],
+    [USE_VP9_ENCODER, 'HAVE_VA_VA_DEC_VP9_H'],
+    [USE_VPP, 'HAVE_VA_VA_VPP_H'],
+  ]
+  foreach h : check_headers
+    if h.get(0)
+      cdata.set(h.get(1), 1)
+    endif
+  endforeach
+
+  if USE_ENCODERS
+    check_headers = [
+      ['HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_MPEG2_H', 'va/va_enc_mpeg2.h'],
+      ['HAVE_VA_VA_ENC_H264_H', 'va/va_enc_h264.h'],
+    ]
+    foreach h : check_headers
+      if cc.has_header(h.get(1), dependencies: libva_dep, prefix: '#include <va/va.h>')
+        cdata.set(h.get(0), 1)
+      endif
+    endforeach
+  endif
+endif
+
 api_version = '1.0'
 soversion = 0
 # maintaining compatibility with the previous libtool versioning