diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index da42640..807b321 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ endif
 
 CFLAGS+=$(EXTRA_CFLAGS)
 
+# Fallback for libyajl 1 which did not include yajl_version.h. We need
+# YAJL_MAJOR from that file to decide which code path should be used.
+CFLAGS += -idirafter $(TOPDIR)/yajl-fallback
+
 OBJS:=$(wildcard src/*.c *.c)
 OBJS:=$(OBJS:.c=.o)
 
diff --git a/i3status.c b/i3status.c
index b2b1714..de63bc1 100644
--- a/i3status.c
+++ b/i3status.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <locale.h>
 
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
@@ -346,7 +347,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         || !valid_color(cfg_getstr(cfg_general, "color_separator")))
                die("Bad color format");
 
+#if YAJL_MAJOR >= 2
         yajl_gen json_gen = yajl_gen_alloc(NULL);
+#else
+        yajl_gen json_gen = yajl_gen_alloc(NULL, NULL);
+#endif
 
         if (output_format == O_I3BAR) {
                 /* Initialize the i3bar protocol. See i3/docs/i3bar-protocol
@@ -466,7 +471,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 if (output_format == O_I3BAR) {
                         yajl_gen_array_close(json_gen);
                         const unsigned char *buf;
+#if YAJL_MAJOR >= 2
                         size_t len;
+#else
+                        unsigned int len;
+#endif
                         yajl_gen_get_buf(json_gen, &buf, &len);
                         write(STDOUT_FILENO, buf, len);
                         yajl_gen_clear(json_gen);
diff --git a/include/i3status.h b/include/i3status.h
index 4311054..ad54a14 100644
--- a/include/i3status.h
+++ b/include/i3status.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ enum { O_DZEN2, O_XMOBAR, O_I3BAR, O_NONE } output_format;
 #include <confuse.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
diff --git a/src/print_battery_info.c b/src/print_battery_info.c
index 3892d35..de63e4c 100644
--- a/src/print_battery_info.c
+++ b/src/print_battery_info.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_cpu_temperature.c b/src/print_cpu_temperature.c
index 65fcfae..25b45f6 100644
--- a/src/print_cpu_temperature.c
+++ b/src/print_cpu_temperature.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_cpu_usage.c b/src/print_cpu_usage.c
index 24afca7..7fdd11c 100644
--- a/src/print_cpu_usage.c
+++ b/src/print_cpu_usage.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #ifdef __FreeBSD__
 #include <sys/types.h>
diff --git a/src/print_ddate.c b/src/print_ddate.c
index ca3ab0e..edc8e97 100644
--- a/src/print_ddate.c
+++ b/src/print_ddate.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_disk_info.c b/src/print_disk_info.c
index 7235325..9ddffd3 100644
--- a/src/print_disk_info.c
+++ b/src/print_disk_info.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <sys/mount.h>
 #endif
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_eth_info.c b/src/print_eth_info.c
index 1e877c0..90005bf 100644
--- a/src/print_eth_info.c
+++ b/src/print_eth_info.c
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include <net/if.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_ipv6_addr.c b/src/print_ipv6_addr.c
index 3f1c81d..be64ba3 100644
--- a/src/print_ipv6_addr.c
+++ b/src/print_ipv6_addr.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_load.c b/src/print_load.c
index 181773b..d0d65f7 100644
--- a/src/print_load.c
+++ b/src/print_load.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 void print_load(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *format) {
         char *outwalk = buffer;
diff --git a/src/print_run_watch.c b/src/print_run_watch.c
index f93c3a0..893e2cd 100644
--- a/src/print_run_watch.c
+++ b/src/print_run_watch.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 #include "i3status.h"
 
 void print_run_watch(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *title, const char *pidfile, const char *format) {
diff --git a/src/print_time.c b/src/print_time.c
index a1bb34c..00a6196 100644
--- a/src/print_time.c
+++ b/src/print_time.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #include "i3status.h"
 
diff --git a/src/print_volume.c b/src/print_volume.c
index 5c34c3e..bc14ed8 100644
--- a/src/print_volume.c
+++ b/src/print_volume.c
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #ifdef LINUX
 #include <alsa/asoundlib.h>
diff --git a/src/print_wireless_info.c b/src/print_wireless_info.c
index 642dece..a75d284 100644
--- a/src/print_wireless_info.c
+++ b/src/print_wireless_info.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 // vim:ts=8:expandtab
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_gen.h>
+#include <yajl/yajl_version.h>
 
 #ifdef LINUX
 #include <iwlib.h>
diff --git a/yajl-fallback/yajl/yajl_version.h b/yajl-fallback/yajl/yajl_version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6da442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/yajl-fallback/yajl/yajl_version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#ifndef YAJL_VERSION_H_
+#define YAJL_VERSION_H_
+/* Fallback for libyajl 1 which does not provide yajl_version.h */
+#define YAJL_MAJOR 1
+#define YAJL_MINOR 0
+#define YAJL_MICRO 0
+#endif