diff --git a/autotests/BackendsManager.h b/autotests/BackendsManager.h
--- a/autotests/BackendsManager.h
+++ b/autotests/BackendsManager.h
@@ -22,12 +22,11 @@
 
 #include "AuthBackend.h"
 #include "HelperProxy.h"
-#include <kauth_export.h>
 
 namespace KAuth
 {
 
-class KAUTH_EXPORT BackendsManager
+class BackendsManager
 {
     static AuthBackend *auth;
     static HelperProxy *helper;
diff --git a/autotests/CMakeLists.txt b/autotests/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/autotests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/autotests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@
 
 add_library(kauth_tests_static STATIC ${libkauth_tests_static_SRCS})
 # make sure all executables using this library have the define set to make sure it builds on MSVC
-target_compile_definitions(kauth_tests_static PUBLIC KAUTH_STATIC_DEFINE=1)
+target_compile_definitions(kauth_tests_static
+    PUBLIC KAUTHCORE_STATIC_DEFINE=1
+    PUBLIC KAUTH_STATIC_DEFINE=1
+)
 ecm_mark_as_test(kauth_tests_static)
 
 target_include_directories(kauth_tests_static
diff --git a/src/BackendsManager.h b/src/BackendsManager.h
--- a/src/BackendsManager.h
+++ b/src/BackendsManager.h
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@
 
 #include "AuthBackend.h"
 #include "HelperProxy.h"
-#include <kauth_export.h>
+#include <kauthcore_export.h>
 
 namespace KAuth
 {
 
-class KAUTH_EXPORT BackendsManager
+class KAUTHCORE_EXPORT BackendsManager
 {
     static AuthBackend *auth;
     static HelperProxy *helper;
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     )
 
     add_library(KF5AuthCore ${libkauth_core_SRCS})
+    generate_export_header(KF5AuthCore BASE_NAME KAuthCore)
     target_link_libraries(KF5AuthCore PUBLIC Qt5::Core KF5::CoreAddons)  # for KJob
     target_link_libraries(KF5AuthCore PRIVATE Qt5::DBus)
     target_include_directories(KF5AuthCore INTERFACE "$<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${KDE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR_KF5}/KAuth>")
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
     install(TARGETS KF5Auth EXPORT KF5AuthTargets ${KF5_INSTALL_TARGETS_DEFAULT_ARGS})
     install(FILES
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/kauth_export.h
+        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/kauthcore_export.h
         ${KAuth_HEADERS}
         DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR_KF5}/KAuth COMPONENT Devel
     )
@@ -158,6 +160,7 @@
             Qt5Core_QCH
             KF5CoreAddons_QCH
         BLANK_MACROS
+            KAUTHCORE_EXPORT
             KAUTH_EXPORT
             KAUTH_DEPRECATED
             KAUTH_DEPRECATED_EXPORT
diff --git a/src/kauthaction.h b/src/kauthaction.h
--- a/src/kauthaction.h
+++ b/src/kauthaction.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include <QHash>
 #include <QSharedDataPointer>
 
-#include <kauth_export.h>
+#include <kauthcore_export.h>
 
 namespace KAuth
 {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
  *
  * @since 4.4
  */
-class KAUTH_EXPORT Action
+class KAUTHCORE_EXPORT Action
 {
 Q_GADGET
 public:
diff --git a/src/kauthactionreply.h b/src/kauthactionreply.h
--- a/src/kauthactionreply.h
+++ b/src/kauthactionreply.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <QDataStream>
 #include <QSharedDataPointer>
 
-#include <kauth_export.h>
+#include <kauthcore_export.h>
 /**
  @namespace KAuth
 
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@
  *
  * @since 4.4
  */
-class KAUTH_EXPORT ActionReply
+class KAUTHCORE_EXPORT ActionReply
 {
 public:
     /**
diff --git a/src/kauthexecutejob.h b/src/kauthexecutejob.h
--- a/src/kauthexecutejob.h
+++ b/src/kauthexecutejob.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <kjob.h>
 
-#include <kauth_export.h>
+#include <kauthcore_export.h>
 
 #include "kauthaction.h"
 #include "kauthactionreply.h"
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
  *
  * @since 5.0
  */
-class KAUTH_EXPORT ExecuteJob : public KJob
+class KAUTHCORE_EXPORT ExecuteJob : public KJob
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
diff --git a/src/kauthhelpersupport.h b/src/kauthhelpersupport.h
--- a/src/kauthhelpersupport.h
+++ b/src/kauthhelpersupport.h
@@ -23,19 +23,19 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QVariant>
 
-#include <kauth_export.h>
+#include <kauthcore_export.h>
 
 #define KAUTH_HELPER_MAIN(ID, HelperClass) \
     int main(int argc, char **argv) { return KAuth::HelperSupport::helperMain(argc, argv, ID, new HelperClass()); }
 
 namespace KAuth
 {
 
 /**
- * @brief Support class with some KAUTH_EXPORT methods useful to the helper's code
+ * @brief Support class with some KAUTHCORE_EXPORT methods useful to the helper's code
  *
  * This class provides the API to write the helper tool that executes your actions.
- * You don't create instances of HelperSupport. Instead, you use its KAUTH_EXPORT methods.
+ * You don't create instances of HelperSupport. Instead, you use its KAUTHCORE_EXPORT methods.
  *
  * This them you can notify the application of progress in your action's execution
  * and you can check if the application asked you to terminate it.
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
  *
  * @param step The progress indicator
  */
-KAUTH_EXPORT void progressStep(int step);
+KAUTHCORE_EXPORT void progressStep(int step);
 
 /**
 * @brief Send a progressStep signal to the caller application
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 *
 * @param data The progress data
 */
-KAUTH_EXPORT void progressStep(const QVariantMap &data);
+KAUTHCORE_EXPORT void progressStep(const QVariantMap &data);
 
 /**
  * @brief Check if the caller asked the helper to stop the execution
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
  * @see ExecuteJob::kill
  * @return true if the helper has been asked to stop, false otherwise
  */
-KAUTH_EXPORT bool isStopped();
+KAUTHCORE_EXPORT bool isStopped();
 
 /**
  * @brief Method that implements the main function of the helper tool. Do not call directly
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
  * @param responder The responder object for the helper. The macro passes a default-constructed,
  *                  heap-allocated object of the class specified as the last macro parameter
  */
-KAUTH_EXPORT int helperMain(int argc, char **argv, const char *id, QObject *responder);
+KAUTHCORE_EXPORT int helperMain(int argc, char **argv, const char *id, QObject *responder);
 } // namespace HelperSupport
 
 } // namespace Auth