diff --git a/browser/BUILD.gn b/browser/BUILD.gn
index fef1fefbc00..9782ed4f4d0 100644
--- a/browser/BUILD.gn
+++ b/browser/BUILD.gn
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@ import("//brave/build/config.gni")
 import("//build/config/features.gni")
 
 source_set("browser_process") {
-  defines = [
-    "BRAVE_BROWSER_VERSION=\"$brave_version\"",
-  ]
-
   sources = [
     "autocomplete/brave_autocomplete_scheme_classifier.cc",
     "autocomplete/brave_autocomplete_scheme_classifier.h",
@@ -49,11 +45,11 @@ source_set("browser_process") {
     "sparkle_glue_mac.h",
     "update_util.cc",
     "update_util.h",
-    "version_info.cc",
-    "version_info.h",
+
   ]
 
   deps = [
+    ":version_info",
     "//brave/browser/payments",
     "//brave/components/brave_shields/browser:brave_shields",
     "//brave/components/content_settings/core/browser",
@@ -77,6 +73,19 @@ source_set("browser_process") {
   }
 }
 
+source_set("version_info") {
+  # these are only for version_info.cc and should not be exposed as public configs
+  configs += [ "//brave/build:version" ]
+  defines = [
+    "BRAVE_BROWSER_VERSION=\"$brave_version\"",
+  ]
+
+  sources = [
+    "version_info.cc",
+    "version_info.h",
+  ]
+}
+
 source_set("browser") {
   sources = [
     "brave_content_browser_client.cc",
diff --git a/browser/brave_stats_updater.cc b/browser/brave_stats_updater.cc
index 1cb69a7a51e..86ff5e8bcf0 100644
--- a/browser/brave_stats_updater.cc
+++ b/browser/brave_stats_updater.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include "chrome/browser/net/system_network_context_manager.h"
 #include "chrome/common/channel_info.h"
 #include "components/prefs/pref_registry_simple.h"
-#include "components/version_info/version_info.h"
+#include "brave/browser/version_info.h"
 #include "net/base/load_flags.h"
 #include "net/base/url_util.h"
 #include "net/traffic_annotation/network_traffic_annotation.h"
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ GURL GetUpdateURL(const brave::BraveStatsUpdaterParams& stats_updater_params) {
   update_url =
       net::AppendQueryParameter(update_url, "channel", GetChannelName());
   update_url = net::AppendQueryParameter(update_url, "version",
-                                         BRAVE_BROWSER_VERSION);
+                    version_info::GetBraveVersionWithoutChromiumMajorVersion());
   update_url = net::AppendQueryParameter(update_url, "daily",
                                          stats_updater_params.GetDailyParam());
   update_url = net::AppendQueryParameter(update_url, "weekly",
diff --git a/browser/version_info.cc b/browser/version_info.cc
index f872c26be40..75496fba0c6 100644
--- a/browser/version_info.cc
+++ b/browser/version_info.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 namespace version_info {
 
+std::string GetBraveVersionWithoutChromiumMajorVersion() {
+  return std::string(BRAVE_BROWSER_VERSION);
+}
+
 std::string GetBraveVersionNumberForDisplay() {
   return std::string(BRAVE_BROWSER_VERSION) +
       "  Chromium: " + BRAVE_CHROMIUM_VERSION;
diff --git a/build/BUILD.gn b/build/BUILD.gn
index d1204213508..7521edc7b51 100644
--- a/build/BUILD.gn
+++ b/build/BUILD.gn
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ if (brave_chromium_build) {
   config("compiler") {}
 }
 
+# do not expose this as a public config anywhere
 config("version") {
   defines = [
     "BRAVE_CHROMIUM_VERSION=\"$chrome_version_string\"",