diff --git a/unicodedomino_compat.def b/unicodedomino_compat.def
index 59038af3db265ed375fd887647b9ab6b44e92cc3..bedde489ce3c6f57027a6c4af82541677e6ad6e6 100644
--- a/unicodedomino_compat.def
+++ b/unicodedomino_compat.def
@@ -33,3 +33,12 @@
   Do ensure the source document is saved in UTF-8 encoding%
  }%
 \fi%
+
+% added in v1.2e 2018/09/30(?)
+\ifx\UTFviii@hexcodepoint\@undefined%
+ % override message to format the codepoint correctly
+ \gdef\UTFviii@splitcsname#1:#2\relax{%
+  #2 (\expandafter\UTFviii@hexcodepoint\expandafter{%
+   \the\numexpr\decode@UTFviii#2\relax})%
+ }%
+\fi%
diff --git a/unicodedomino_kernel_cosmetics.def b/unicodedomino_kernel_cosmetics.def
index df9a135e02bec18715207b00e854ca479c45916f..f6c05926c713c50f8a983d2ea8fcf9100fe76a31 100644
--- a/unicodedomino_kernel_cosmetics.def
+++ b/unicodedomino_kernel_cosmetics.def
@@ -20,15 +20,6 @@
  }%
 \fi%
 
-%: merged
-\ifx\UTFviii@hexcodepoint\@undefined%
- % override message to format the codepoint correctly
- \gdef\UTFviii@splitcsname#1:#2\relax{%
-  #2 (\expandafter\UTFviii@hexcodepoint\expandafter{%
-   \the\numexpr\decode@UTFviii#2\relax})%
- }%
-\fi%
-
 %: reverted partially, override bogus definition
 % format a number as Unicode codepoint hex
 \gdef\UTFviii@hexcodepoint#1{%