diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 include(KDECMakeSettings)
 include(KDEFrameworkCompilerSettings NO_POLICY_SCOPE)
 
-include(GenerateExportHeader)
+include(ECMGenerateExportHeader)
 include(CMakePackageConfigHelpers)
 include(ECMSetupVersion)
 include(ECMGenerateHeaders)
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 
 find_package(Qt5 ${REQUIRED_QT_VERSION} CONFIG REQUIRED Core)
 
+set(EXCLUDE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE_AND_AT 0 CACHE STRING "Control the range of deprecated API excluded from the build [default=0].")
+
 option(BUILD_WITH_QML "Build with support for scripted translations (recommended)" ON)
 if (BUILD_WITH_QML)
    find_package(Qt5Qml ${REQUIRED_QT_VERSION} CONFIG REQUIRED)
diff --git a/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.h b/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.h
--- a/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.h
+++ b/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #ifndef KLOCALIZEDSTRINGTEST_H
 #define KLOCALIZEDSTRINGTEST_H
 
+#include <ki18n_export.h>
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QTemporaryDir>
 
@@ -33,7 +34,9 @@
     void miscMethods();
     void translateToFrenchLowlevel();
     void translateToFrench();
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
     void translateQt();
+#endif
     void addCustomDomainPath();
 
     void testThreads();
diff --git a/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.cpp b/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.cpp
--- a/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/klocalizedstringtest.cpp
@@ -487,6 +487,7 @@
     QCOMPARE(i18n("Job"), QString::fromUtf8("Tâche"));
 }
 
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
 void KLocalizedStringTest::translateQt()
 {
     KLocalizedString::insertQtDomain("ki18n-test-qt");
@@ -509,6 +510,7 @@
 #endif
     KLocalizedString::removeQtDomain("ki18n-test-qt");
 }
+#endif
 
 void KLocalizedStringTest::testLocalizedTranslator()
 {
@@ -582,8 +584,10 @@
     sync.addFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KLocalizedStringTest::correctSubs));
     sync.addFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KLocalizedStringTest::correctSubs));
     sync.addFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KLocalizedStringTest::correctSubs));
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
     sync.addFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KLocalizedStringTest::translateQt));
     sync.addFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KLocalizedStringTest::translateQt));
+#endif
     sync.addFuture(QtConcurrent::run(this, &KLocalizedStringTest::translateToFrench));
     sync.waitForFinished();
     QThreadPool::globalInstance()->setMaxThreadCount(1); // delete those threads
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,8 +21,15 @@
 )
 
 add_library(KF5I18n ${libki18n_SRCS})
-generate_export_header(KF5I18n BASE_NAME KI18n)
 add_library(KF5::I18n ALIAS KF5I18n)
+ecm_generate_export_header(KF5I18n
+    BASE_NAME KI18n
+    # GROUP_BASE_NAME KF <- enable once all of KF modules use ecm_generate_export_header
+    VERSION ${KF5_VERSION}
+    DEPRECATED_BASE_VERSION 0
+    DEPRECATION_VERSIONS 5.0
+    EXCLUDE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE_AND_AT ${EXCLUDE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE_AND_AT}
+)
 
 target_include_directories(KF5I18n INTERFACE "$<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${KDE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR_KF5}/KI18n>")
 target_include_directories(KF5I18n PRIVATE ${LibIntl_INCLUDE_DIRS})
diff --git a/src/klocalizedstring.h b/src/klocalizedstring.h
--- a/src/klocalizedstring.h
+++ b/src/klocalizedstring.h
@@ -53,23 +53,25 @@
 #define I18NC_NOOP(context, text) context, text
 #endif
 
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
 #ifndef I18N_NOOP2
 /**
  * Wrap string with context for extraction, discarding context.
  *
- * \deprecated Use \c I18NC_NOOP.
+ * \deprecated Since 5.0, use \c I18NC_NOOP.
  */
 #define I18N_NOOP2(context, text) text
 #endif
 
 #ifndef I18N_NOOP2_NOSTRIP
 /**
  * Wrap string with context for extraction.
  *
- * \deprecated Old name for \c I18NC_NOOP.
+ * \deprecated Since 5.0, use \c I18NC_NOOP.
  */
 #define I18N_NOOP2_NOSTRIP(context, text) context, text
 #endif
+#endif // KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
 
 /**
  * @class KLocalizedString klocalizedstring.h <KLocalizedString>
@@ -606,6 +608,7 @@
      */
     Q_REQUIRED_RESULT static QString removeAcceleratorMarker(const QString &label);
 
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
     /**
      * Translate a message with Qt semantics.
      *
@@ -621,21 +624,27 @@
      *             with roundtrip TS->PO->TS through
      *             Qt's \c lupdate and \c lconvert commands.
      */
-    Q_REQUIRED_RESULT KI18N_DEPRECATED static QString translateQt(const char *context, const char *text,
-                               const char *comment, int n);
+    KI18N_DEPRECATED_VERSION(5, 0, "See API docs")
+    Q_REQUIRED_RESULT static QString translateQt(const char *context, const char *text,
+                                                 const char *comment, int n);
+#endif
 
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
     /**
      * Add another domain to search for Qt translations.
      *
      * \param domain the translation domain to add
      *
      * \see translateQt
      * \see removeQtDomain
      *
-     * \deprecated
+     * \deprecated Since 5.0
      */
-    KI18N_DEPRECATED static void insertQtDomain(const char *domain);
+    KI18N_DEPRECATED_VERSION(5, 0, "See API docs")
+    static void insertQtDomain(const char *domain);
+#endif
 
+#if KI18N_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
     /**
      * Remove a domain from Qt translation lookup.
      *
@@ -650,9 +659,11 @@
      * \see translateQt
      * \see insertQtDomain
      *
-     * \deprecated
+     * \deprecated Since 5.0
      */
-    KI18N_DEPRECATED static void removeQtDomain(const char *domain);
+    KI18N_DEPRECATED_VERSION(5, 0, "See API docs")
+    static void removeQtDomain(const char *domain);
+#endif
 
 private:
     KLocalizedString(const char *domain,
diff --git a/src/klocalizedstring.cpp b/src/klocalizedstring.cpp
--- a/src/klocalizedstring.cpp
+++ b/src/klocalizedstring.cpp
@@ -1454,6 +1454,7 @@
     return ::removeAcceleratorMarker(label);
 }
 
+#if KI18N_BUILD_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
 QString KLocalizedString::translateQt(const char *context,
                                       const char *sourceText,
                                       const char *comment,
@@ -1525,7 +1526,9 @@
     // No proper translation found, return empty according to Qt semantics.
     return QString();
 }
+#endif
 
+#if KI18N_BUILD_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
 void KLocalizedString::insertQtDomain(const char *domain)
 {
     KLocalizedStringPrivateStatics *s = staticsKLSP();
@@ -1542,7 +1545,9 @@
         ++s->qtDomainInsertCount[pos];
     }
 }
+#endif
 
+#if KI18N_BUILD_DEPRECATED_SINCE(5, 0)
 void KLocalizedString::removeQtDomain(const char *domain)
 {
     KLocalizedStringPrivateStatics *s = staticsKLSP();
@@ -1555,6 +1560,8 @@
         s->qtDomainInsertCount.removeAt(pos);
     }
 }
+#endif
+
 
 void KLocalizedString::addDomainLocaleDir(const QByteArray &domain, const QString &path) {
     KCatalog::addDomainLocaleDir(domain, path);