diff --git a/app/gimp-update.c b/app/gimp-update.c
index d164ecfabf..72f74e0366 100644
--- a/app/gimp-update.c
+++ b/app/gimp-update.c
@@ -416,13 +416,13 @@ gimp_update_about_dialog (GimpCoreConfig   *config,
 static const gchar *
 gimp_get_version_url ()
 {
-#ifdef GIMP_UNSTABLE
+#ifdef GIMP_RELEASE
+  return "https://www.gimp.org/gimp_versions.json";
+#else
   if (g_getenv ("GIMP_DEV_VERSIONS_JSON"))
     return g_getenv ("GIMP_DEV_VERSIONS_JSON");
   else
     return "https://testing.gimp.org/gimp_versions.json";
-#else
-  return "https://www.gimp.org/gimp_versions.json";
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ gimp_update_auto_check (GimpCoreConfig *config)
   if (prev_update_timestamp > current_timestamp)
     prev_update_timestamp = -1;
 
-#ifndef GIMP_UNSTABLE
+#ifdef GIMP_RELEASE
   /* Do not check more than once a week. */
   if (current_timestamp - prev_update_timestamp < 3600L * 24L * 7L)
     return FALSE;
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 01c312526b..2808558dcf 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ m4_define([gimp_unstable],
 m4_define([gimp_stable],
           m4_if(m4_eval(gimp_minor_version % 2), [0], [yes], [no]))
 
+m4_define([gimp_release],
+          m4_if(m4_eval(gimp_micro_version % 2), [0], [yes], [no]))
+
 m4_define([gimp_full_name], [GNU Image Manipulation Program])
 
 # required versions of other packages
@@ -120,6 +123,7 @@ GIMP_DATA_VERSION=gimp_data_version
 GIMP_SYSCONF_VERSION=gimp_sysconf_version
 GIMP_USER_VERSION=gimp_user_version
 GIMP_UNSTABLE=gimp_unstable
+GIMP_RELEASE=gimp_release
 GIMP_FULL_NAME="gimp_full_name"
 AC_SUBST(GIMP_MAJOR_VERSION)
 AC_SUBST(GIMP_MINOR_VERSION)
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ AC_SUBST(GIMP_DATA_VERSION)
 AC_SUBST(GIMP_SYSCONF_VERSION)
 AC_SUBST(GIMP_USER_VERSION)
 AC_SUBST(GIMP_UNSTABLE)
+AC_SUBST(GIMP_RELEASE)
 AC_SUBST(GIMP_FULL_NAME)
 
 # Version strings used in some source, though it seems unnecessary to
@@ -219,10 +224,15 @@ AC_SUBST(XGETTEXT_REQUIRED_VERSION)
 # and automake conditional.
 if test "x$GIMP_UNSTABLE" = "xyes"; then
   AC_DEFINE(GIMP_UNSTABLE, 1,
-            [Define to 1 if this is an unstable version of GIMP])
+            [Define to 1 if this is code from the unstable branch of GIMP])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(GIMP_UNSTABLE, test "x$GIMP_UNSTABLE" = "xyes")
 
+if test "x$GIMP_RELEASE" = "xyes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE(GIMP_RELEASE, 1,
+            [Define to 1 if this is a release version of GIMP])
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(GIMP_RELEASE, test "x$GIMP_RELEASE" = "xyes")
 
 # libtool versioning
 m4_define([lt_current], [m4_eval(100 * gimp_minor_version + gimp_micro_version - gimp_interface_age)])