diff --git a/src/include/port/alpha.h b/src/include/port/alpha.h
index 6499bca6e98..2c1c6e55c9a 100644
--- a/src/include/port/alpha.h
+++ b/src/include/port/alpha.h
@@ -3,3 +3,9 @@
 #define HAS_TEST_AND_SET
 #include <sys/mman.h>			/* for msemaphore */
 typedef msemaphore slock_t;
+
+/* some platforms define __alpha, but not __alpha__ */
+#if defined(__alpha) && !defined(__alpha__)
+#define __alpha__
+#endif
+
diff --git a/src/makefiles/Makefile.alpha b/src/makefiles/Makefile.alpha
index 6fb505e32eb..a9e8e948ec6 100644
--- a/src/makefiles/Makefile.alpha
+++ b/src/makefiles/Makefile.alpha
@@ -1,7 +1,2 @@
-/* some platforms define __alpha, but not __alpha__ */
-#if defined(__alpha) && !defined(__alpha__)
-#define __alpha__
-#endif
-
 %.so:  %.o
 	$(LD) -shared -expect_unresolved '*' -o $@ $<