diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 59ca0d434e57..94cc9baccad9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -161,4 +161,7 @@ tests/mxnet_unit_tests
 coverage.xml
 
 # Local CMake build config
-cmake_options.yml
\ No newline at end of file
+cmake_options.yml
+
+# header file generated at compile time
+include/mkldnn/mkldnn_version.h
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6fc3c3aca5f6..741c5f0190f2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ lint: cpplint rcpplint jnilint pylint
 
 cpplint:
 	3rdparty/dmlc-core/scripts/lint.py mxnet cpp include src plugin cpp-package tests \
-	--exclude_path src/operator/contrib/ctc_include
+	--exclude_path src/operator/contrib/ctc_include include/mkldnn
 
 pylint:
 	python3 -m pylint --rcfile=$(ROOTDIR)/ci/other/pylintrc --ignore-patterns=".*\.so$$,.*\.dll$$,.*\.dylib$$" python/mxnet tools/caffe_converter/*.py
diff --git a/include/mkldnn b/include/mkldnn
deleted file mode 120000
index ed48bf601bd6..000000000000
--- a/include/mkldnn
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../3rdparty/mkldnn/include
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/mkldnn/mkldnn.h b/include/mkldnn/mkldnn.h
new file mode 120000
index 000000000000..873c515d113a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mkldnn/mkldnn.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../3rdparty/mkldnn/include/mkldnn.h
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/mkldnn/mkldnn_types.h b/include/mkldnn/mkldnn_types.h
new file mode 120000
index 000000000000..548b884e2edb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mkldnn/mkldnn_types.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../3rdparty/mkldnn/include/mkldnn_types.h
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mkldnn.mk b/mkldnn.mk
index be45ce5df5d4..802f3dc747c2 100644
--- a/mkldnn.mk
+++ b/mkldnn.mk
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ ifeq ($(USE_MKLDNN), 1)
 	MKLDNN_SUBMODDIR = $(ROOTDIR)/3rdparty/mkldnn
 	MKLDNN_BUILDDIR = $(MKLDNN_SUBMODDIR)/build
 	MXNET_LIBDIR = $(ROOTDIR)/lib
+	MXNET_INCLDIR = $(ROOTDIR)/include
 ifeq ($(UNAME_S), Darwin)
 	OMP_LIBFILE = $(MKLDNNROOT)/lib/libiomp5.dylib
 	MKLML_LIBFILE = $(MKLDNNROOT)/lib/libmklml.dylib
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ $(MKLDNN_LIBFILE):
 	cp $(OMP_LIBFILE) $(MXNET_LIBDIR)
 	cp $(MKLML_LIBFILE) $(MXNET_LIBDIR)
 	cp $(MKLDNN_LIBFILE) $(MXNET_LIBDIR)
-
+	cp $(MKLDNN_BUILDDIR)/include/mkldnn_version.h $(MXNET_INCLDIR)/mkldnn/.
 mkldnn_clean:
 	$(RM) -r 3rdparty/mkldnn/build
 	$(RM) -r $(MKLDNNROOT)
diff --git a/tools/license_header.py b/tools/license_header.py
index b9acbf167c17..c8add72288e7 100755
--- a/tools/license_header.py
+++ b/tools/license_header.py
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@
                # Git submodules under different licenses
                '3rdparty',
 
+               # 3rdparty headerfiles under different licenses
+               'include/mkldnn',
+
                # Code shared with project by author - see file for details
                'src/operator/special_functions-inl.h',