diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
index f3b3565f4..a7755bf05 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
@@ -354,14 +354,12 @@ static inline int ratelimit_test(struct ratelimit *r, uint64_t now)
 	return missed;
 }
 
-#if defined(SND_LIB_VER) && SND_LIB_VERSION >= SND_LIB_VER(1, 2, 6)
-#define channel_area_addr snd_pcm_channel_area_addr
-#else
+/* This function is also as snd_pcm_channel_area_addr() since 1.2.6 which is not yet
+ * in ubuntu and I can't figure out how to do the ALSA version check. */
 static inline void *channel_area_addr(const snd_pcm_channel_area_t *area, snd_pcm_uframes_t offset)
 {
         return (char *)area->addr + (area->first + area->step * offset) / 8;
 }
-#endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */