diff --git a/curl-helper.c b/curl-helper.c
index 3b14892555d..cbfdc13537f 100644
--- a/curl-helper.c
+++ b/curl-helper.c
@@ -1840,6 +1840,18 @@ SETOPT_STRING( COOKIEFILE)
 SETOPT_BOOL( CERTINFO)
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1_0)
+#define CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1_0 CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1
+#endif
+
+#if !defined(CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1_1)
+#define CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1_1 CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1
+#endif
+
+#if !defined(CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1_2)
+#define CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1_2 CURL_SSLVERSION_TLSv1
+#endif
+
 static void handle_SSLVERSION(Connection *conn, value option)
 {
     CAMLparam1(option);
diff --git a/curl.mli b/curl.mli
index 73b3d0e6f82..2175a07c3ce 100644
--- a/curl.mli
+++ b/curl.mli
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ type curlSSLVersion =
   | SSLVERSION_TLSv1 (** TLSv1.x *)
   | SSLVERSION_SSLv2 (** SSLv2 *)
   | SSLVERSION_SSLv3 (** SSLv3 *)
-  | SSLVERSION_TLSv1_0 (** Added in 7.34.0 *)
-  | SSLVERSION_TLSv1_1 (** Added in 7.34.0 *)
-  | SSLVERSION_TLSv1_2 (** Added in 7.34.0 *)
+  | SSLVERSION_TLSv1_0 (** Added in libcurl 7.34.0, will request TLSv1 in previous versions *)
+  | SSLVERSION_TLSv1_1 (** Added in libcurl 7.34.0, will request TLSv1 in previous versions *)
+  | SSLVERSION_TLSv1_2 (** Added in libcurl 7.34.0, will request TLSv1 in previous versions *)
 
 type curlTimeCondition =
   | TIMECOND_NONE (** since 0.6.1 *)