diff --git a/NEWS.adoc b/NEWS.adoc
index 25aa295e61..0ee525b938 100644
--- a/NEWS.adoc
+++ b/NEWS.adoc
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ https://github.com/networkupstools/nut/milestone/11
      we can store and try to use the file name which was present on the build
      system, while we search for a suitable library. [#2431]
 +
-NOTE: Currently both the long and short names for `libupsclient` should be
-installed.
+NOTE: A different but functionally equivalent trick is done for `libupsclient`
+during a NUT build.
    * fixed support for IPv6 addresses (passed in square brackets) for both
      `-s` start/`-e` end command-line options, and for `-m cidr/mask` option.
      [issue #2512, PR #2518]
diff --git a/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am b/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am
index a5bdd84372..78bab5633d 100644
--- a/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 # Generally, list headers and/or sources which are re-generated
 # for nut-scanner in the parent dir
+# Note there is also a libupsclient-version.h which we ensure and
+# manage via usual `make` dependencies below.
 NUT_SCANNER_DEPS_H = nutscan-usb.h nutscan-snmp.h
 NUT_SCANNER_DEPS_C =
 
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ $(NUT_SCANNER_DEPS): dummy
 
 # Make sure out-of-dir dependencies exist (especially when dev-building parts):
 $(top_builddir)/include/nut_version.h \
+$(top_builddir)/clients/libupsclient-version.h \
 $(top_builddir)/common/libnutwincompat.la \
 $(top_builddir)/drivers/libserial-nutscan.la \
 $(top_builddir)/common/libcommonstr.la \
@@ -39,6 +42,7 @@ $(top_builddir)/common/libcommon.la: dummy
 # BUILT_SOURCES (in ../include) will ensure nut_version.h will
 # be built before anything else
 nut-scanner.c: $(top_builddir)/include/nut_version.h
+nutscan-init.c: $(top_builddir)/clients/libupsclient-version.h
 
 # We optionally append values to this below
 bin_PROGRAMS =
@@ -97,13 +101,17 @@ libnutscan_la_LDFLAGS += -version-info 2:6:0
 # One solution to tackle if needed for those cases would be to make some
 # dynamic/shared libnutcommon (etc.)
 libnutscan_la_LDFLAGS += -export-symbols-regex '^(nutscan_|nut_debug_level|s_upsdebug|fatalx|fatal_with_errno|xcalloc|snprintfcat|max_threads|curr_threads|nut_report_config_flags|upsdebugx_report_search_paths|nut_prepare_search_paths)'
-libnutscan_la_CFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/clients -I$(top_srcdir)/include \
+libnutscan_la_CFLAGS = \
+			-I$(top_builddir)/clients -I$(top_srcdir)/clients \
+			-I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/include \
 			$(LIBLTDL_CFLAGS) -I$(top_srcdir)/drivers
 
 libnutscan_la_LIBADD += $(top_builddir)/common/libcommonstr.la
 
 nut_scanner_SOURCES = nut-scanner.c
-nut_scanner_CFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/clients -I$(top_srcdir)/include
+nut_scanner_CFLAGS = \
+			-I$(top_builddir)/clients -I$(top_srcdir)/clients \
+			-I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/include
 nut_scanner_LDADD = libnutscan.la
 
 if WITH_SSL
diff --git a/tools/nut-scanner/nutscan-init.c b/tools/nut-scanner/nutscan-init.c
index aad15c69d6..609c9a04d2 100644
--- a/tools/nut-scanner/nutscan-init.c
+++ b/tools/nut-scanner/nutscan-init.c
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@
 #include "nut_platform.h"
 #include "nut_stdint.h"
 
+/* Note: generated during build in $(top_builddir)/clients/
+ * and should be ensured to be here at the right moment by
+ * the nut-scanner Makefile. */
+#include "libupsclient-version.h"
+
 #ifdef WIN32
 # if defined HAVE_WINSOCK2_H && HAVE_WINSOCK2_H
 #  include <winsock2.h>
@@ -542,12 +547,22 @@ void nutscan_init(void)
 #endif	/* WITH_FREEIPMI */
 
 /* start of libupsclient for "old NUT" (vs. Avahi) protocol - unconditional */
+#ifdef SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT
+	if (!libname) {
+		libname = get_libname(SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT);
+	}
+#endif	/* SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT */
 	if (!libname) {
 		libname = get_libname("libupsclient" SOEXT);
 	}
+#ifdef SOPATH_LIBUPSCLIENT
+	if (!libname) {
+		libname = get_libname(SOPATH_LIBUPSCLIENT);
+	}
+#endif	/* SOPATH_LIBUPSCLIENT */
 #ifdef WIN32
-	/* TODO: Detect DLL name at build time, or rename it at install time? */
-	/* e.g. see clients/Makefile.am for version-info value */
+	/* NOTE: Normally we should detect DLL name at build time,
+	 * see clients/Makefile.am for libupsclient-version.h */
 	if (!libname) {
 		libname = get_libname("libupsclient-6" SOEXT);
 	}
@@ -566,6 +581,11 @@ void nutscan_init(void)
 		upsdebugx(1, "%s: get_libname() did not resolve libname for %s, "
 			"trying to load it with libtool default resolver",
 			__func__, "NUT Client library");
+#ifdef SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT
+		if (!nutscan_avail_nut) {
+			nutscan_avail_xml_http = nutscan_load_upsclient_library(SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT);
+		}
+#endif	/* SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT */
 		nutscan_avail_nut = nutscan_load_upsclient_library("libupsclient" SOEXT);
 #ifdef WIN32
 		if (!nutscan_avail_nut) {
@@ -575,6 +595,11 @@ void nutscan_init(void)
 			nutscan_avail_nut = nutscan_load_upsclient_library("libupsclient-3" SOEXT);
 		}
 #endif	/* WIN32 */
+#ifdef SOPATH_LIBUPSCLIENT
+		if (!nutscan_avail_nut) {
+			nutscan_avail_xml_http = nutscan_load_upsclient_library(SOPATH_LIBUPSCLIENT);
+		}
+#endif	/* SOFILE_LIBUPSCLIENT */
 	}
 	upsdebugx(1, "%s: %s to load the library for %s",
 		__func__, nutscan_avail_nut ? "succeeded" : "failed", "NUT Client library");