diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9723138a..be85c4cf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ if(APPLE)
     set(FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR "/Library/Frameworks" CACHE STRING "Directory to install frameworks to.")
   endif()
 endif()
-if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-  add_definitions(-DTAGLIB_STATIC)
-endif()
 option(ENABLE_STATIC_RUNTIME "Visual Studio, link with runtime statically" OFF)
 
 option(ENABLE_CCACHE "Use ccache when building libtag" OFF)
diff --git a/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt b/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt
index 24bbc790..34c8993c 100644
--- a/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/bindings/c/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ set_target_properties(tag_c PROPERTIES
   DEFINE_SYMBOL MAKE_TAGLIB_C_LIB
   INSTALL_NAME_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR}
 )
+if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+  target_compile_definitions(tag_c PUBLIC TAGLIB_STATIC)
+endif()
 
 if(TAGLIB_INSTALL_SUFFIX)
   if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
diff --git a/taglib/CMakeLists.txt b/taglib/CMakeLists.txt
index 3afd845f..89f988aa 100644
--- a/taglib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/taglib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -461,6 +461,9 @@ set_target_properties(tag PROPERTIES
   INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "${ZLIB_INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES}"
   PUBLIC_HEADER "${tag_HDRS}"
 )
+if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+  target_compile_definitions(tag PUBLIC TAGLIB_STATIC)
+endif()
 if(VISIBILITY_HIDDEN)
   set_target_properties(tag PROPERTIES C_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)
   set_target_properties(tag PROPERTIES CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)