diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8417db41..7fb56d3c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,14 +34,12 @@ option(USE_AEC "Use AEC?" off)
 option(MAKE_FTN_API "add ftn api?" off)
 option(DISABLE_STAT "disable posix feature" off)
 set(BUILD_COMMENTS "stock build")
-
 option(BUILD_LIB "Build wgrib2 library?" on)
 option(BUILD_SHARED_LIB "Build shared library?" off)
 
-
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
 
-#set default install path if not provided
+# Set default install path if not provided.
 if(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT)
   set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX
     "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/install"
@@ -129,7 +127,8 @@ if(USE_PNG)
   find_package(PNG REQUIRED)
 endif()
 
-# write config.h
+# write config.h. This is used internally by wgrib2 code and is not
+# installed.
 message(STATUS "Writing config.h...")
 FILE(WRITE "wgrib2/config.h" "/* config.h generated by cmake */\n")
 FILE(APPEND "wgrib2/config.h" "#ifndef _CONFIG_H\n")
diff --git a/wgrib2/CMakeLists.txt b/wgrib2/CMakeLists.txt
index 24013ec5..e0508874 100644
--- a/wgrib2/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/wgrib2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -52,13 +52,22 @@ if(MAKE_FTN_API)
 endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(gctpc)
+
 # make this an object lib so we can re-use most of object files
 # The only files that differ are ${callable_src} which are compiled
 # with -DCALLABLE_WGRIB2
 add_library(obj_lib OBJECT ${lib_src})
 target_compile_definitions(obj_lib PUBLIC ${definitions_list}) 
 
+# Write wgrib2_meta.h. This is installed and contains pre-processor
+# defines for other packages using wgrib2.
+configure_file (
+  "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/wgrib2/wgrib2_meta.h.in"
+  "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/wgrib2/wgrib2_meta.h"
+  )
+
 if(BUILD_LIB)
+
   # with -DCALLABLE_WGRIB2 for the lib
   if(BUILD_SHARED_LIB)
     add_library(wgrib2_lib SHARED ${lib_src} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:gctpc> ${callable_src})
@@ -132,7 +141,7 @@ target_link_libraries(wgrib2_exe PRIVATE gctpc)
 target_link_libraries(wgrib2_exe PRIVATE obj_lib)
 
 if(BUILD_LIB)
-  set(headers wgrib2_api.h wgrib2.h)
+  set(headers wgrib2_api.h wgrib2.h ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/wgrib2_meta.h)
   target_link_libraries(wgrib2_lib PUBLIC gctpc)
   # if(USE_IPOLATES EQUAL 1)
   #   target_link_libraries(wgrib2_lib PRIVATE ip:ip_4 sp:sp_4)
diff --git a/wgrib2/wgrib2_meta.h.in b/wgrib2/wgrib2_meta.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fda745e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wgrib2/wgrib2_meta.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/* This header file may be used by other packages to learn about this
+ * wgrib2 build.
+ *
+ * Edward Hartnett 3/29/24 */
+#ifndef _WGRIB2_META_H
+#define _WGRIB2_META_H
+
+#cmakedefine USE_NETCDF3
+#cmakedefine USE_NETCDF4
+#cmakedefine USE_HDF5
+#cmakedefine USE_REGEX
+#cmakedefine USE_TIGGE
+#cmakedefine USE_MYSQL
+#define USE_IPOLATES @USE_IPOLATES@
+#cmakedefine USE_UDF
+#cmakedefine USE_OPENMP
+#cmakedefine USE_PROJ4
+#cmakedefine USE_WMO_VALIDATION
+#cmakedefine DISABLE_TIMEZONE
+#cmakedefine DISABLE_ALARM
+#cmakedefine USE_NAMES NCEP
+#cmakedefine USE_G2CLIB
+#cmakedefine USE_PNG
+#cmakedefine USE_JASPER
+#cmakedefine USE_OPENJPEG
+#cmakedefine MAKE_FTN_API
+#cmakedefine USE_AEC
+
+#define WGRIB2_VERSION "@CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION@"
+#define BUILD_COMMENTS "@BUILD_COMMENTS@"
+#define CC "@CMAKE_C_COMPILER@ @CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID@"
+#define FORTRAN "@CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER@ @CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID@"
+#define CPPFLAGS "@CMAKE_C_FLAGS@"
+#define FFLAGS "@CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS@"
+#define WGRIB2_VERSION "@CMAKE_PROJECT_VERSION@"
+
+#endif