diff --git a/renderdoc/data/glsl/debuguniforms.h b/renderdoc/data/glsl/debuguniforms.h
index b8c3765cd..542d7f052 100644
--- a/renderdoc/data/glsl/debuguniforms.h
+++ b/renderdoc/data/glsl/debuguniforms.h
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@
 
 #else
 
-#version 420 core
+// this has to happen above even any pre-processor definitions,
+// so it's added in code
+//#version 420 core
 
 #define BINDING(b) layout (binding = b, std140) 
 
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_debug.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_debug.cpp
index 29f4013c1..853d4e9b3 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_debug.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_debug.cpp
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@ void GLReplay::InitDebugData()
 
 	DebugData.blitProg = CreateShaderProgram(DebugData.blitvsSource.c_str(), DebugData.blitfsSource.c_str());
 	
-	string glslheader = GetEmbeddedResource(debuguniforms_h);
+	string glslheader = "#version 420 core\n\n";
+	glslheader += GetEmbeddedResource(debuguniforms_h);
 
 	string texfs = GetEmbeddedResource(texsample_h);
 	texfs += GetEmbeddedResource(texdisplay_frag);
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_driver.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_driver.cpp
index 55c424347..5fd904fd4 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_driver.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_driver.cpp
@@ -1117,7 +1117,8 @@ void WrappedOpenGL::ActivateContext(GLWindowingData winData)
 				gl.glGenBuffers(1, &ctxdata.StringUBO);
 				gl.glNamedBufferStorageEXT(ctxdata.StringUBO, sizeof(uint32_t)*4*FONT_MAX_CHARS, NULL, GL_MAP_WRITE_BIT);
 
-				string textvs = GetEmbeddedResource(debuguniforms_h);
+				string textvs = "#version 420 core\n\n";
+				textvs += GetEmbeddedResource(debuguniforms_h);
 				textvs += GetEmbeddedResource(text_vert);
 				string textfs = GetEmbeddedResource(text_frag);