diff --git a/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Fields/ParseResult.hs b/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Fields/ParseResult.hs
index b7dbcf4a220..f300fc115f8 100644
--- a/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Fields/ParseResult.hs
+++ b/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Fields/ParseResult.hs
@@ -17,15 +17,21 @@ module Distribution.Fields.ParseResult (
     withoutWarnings,
     ) where
 
-import           Distribution.Compat.Prelude
 import           Distribution.Parsec.Error    (PError (..))
 import           Distribution.Parsec.Position (Position (..), zeroPos)
 import           Distribution.Parsec.Warning  (PWarnType (..), PWarning (..))
 import           Distribution.Version         (Version)
 import           Prelude ()
 
+-- liftA2 is not in base <4.10, hence we need to only import it explicitly when we're on >=4.10
+--
+-- Additionally, since liftA2 will be exported from Prelude starting with ~4.18, we should hide
+-- it from Prelude and get it from Control.Applicative to be backwards compatible and avoid warnings
 #if MIN_VERSION_base(4,10,0)
-import Control.Applicative (Applicative (..))
+import           Distribution.Compat.Prelude hiding (Applicative(..))
+import           Control.Applicative (Applicative (..))
+#else
+import           Distribution.Compat.Prelude
 #endif
 
 -- | A monad with failure and accumulating errors and warnings.
diff --git a/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/System.hs b/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/System.hs
index 62b52a20ce6..68bda631f19 100644
--- a/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/System.hs
+++ b/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/System.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP              #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DeriveGeneric #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts #-}
@@ -42,8 +43,12 @@ module Distribution.System (
   ) where
 
 import Prelude ()
-import Distribution.Compat.Prelude
+import Distribution.Compat.Prelude hiding (Applicative(..))
+import Control.Applicative (Applicative(..))
+
+#if !MIN_VERSION_base(4,10,0)
 import Control.Applicative (liftA2)
+#endif
 
 import qualified System.Info (os, arch)
 import Distribution.Utils.Generic (lowercase)
diff --git a/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Types/VersionInterval.hs b/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Types/VersionInterval.hs
index 96d6df0d3f6..cc8c3966349 100644
--- a/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Types/VersionInterval.hs
+++ b/Cabal-syntax/src/Distribution/Types/VersionInterval.hs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ module Distribution.Types.VersionInterval (
 
 import Control.Applicative         (liftA2)
 import Control.Exception           (assert)
-import Distribution.Compat.Prelude
+import Distribution.Compat.Prelude hiding (Applicative(..))
 import Prelude ()
 
 import Distribution.Types.Version