diff --git a/include/mdbtools.h b/include/mdbtools.h
index efc0900..ae1c420 100644
--- a/include/mdbtools.h
+++ b/include/mdbtools.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 #define MDB_MEMO_OVERHEAD 12
 #define MDB_BIND_SIZE 16384
 
+#define MDB_DEPRECATED __attribute__((deprecated))
+
 enum {
 	MDB_PAGE_DB = 0,
 	MDB_PAGE_DATA,
@@ -423,8 +425,8 @@ typedef struct {
 } MdbSarg;
 
 /* mem.c */
-extern void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_init();
-extern void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_exit();
+extern void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_init();
+extern void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_exit();
 
 /* file.c */
 extern ssize_t mdb_read_pg(MdbHandle *mdb, unsigned long pg);
@@ -494,14 +496,14 @@ extern int mdb_read_row(MdbTableDef *table, unsigned int row);
 extern void mdb_buffer_dump(const void *buf, int start, size_t len);
 
 /* backend.c */
-extern char* __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_get_coltype_string(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type);
-extern int __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_coltype_takes_length(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type);
+extern char* MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_get_coltype_string(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type);
+extern int MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_coltype_takes_length(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type);
 extern const MdbBackendType* mdb_get_colbacktype(const MdbColumn *col);
 extern const char* mdb_get_colbacktype_string(const MdbColumn *col);
 extern int mdb_colbacktype_takes_length(const MdbColumn *col);
-extern void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_init_backends();
+extern void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_init_backends();
 extern void mdb_register_backend(char *backend_name, guint32 capabilities, MdbBackendType *backend_type, MdbBackendType *type_shortdate, MdbBackendType *type_autonum, const char *short_now, const char *long_now, const char *charset_statement, const char *drop_statement, const char *constaint_not_empty_statement, const char *column_comment_statement, const char *table_comment_statement, gchar* (*quote_schema_name)(const gchar*, const gchar*));
-extern void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_remove_backends();
+extern void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_remove_backends();
 extern int  mdb_set_default_backend(MdbHandle *mdb, const char *backend_name);
 extern void mdb_print_schema(MdbHandle *mdb, FILE *outfile, char *tabname, char *dbnamespace, guint32 export_options);
 
diff --git a/src/libmdb/backend.c b/src/libmdb/backend.c
index 3f79cac..3adeedc 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/backend.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/backend.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ quote_with_squotes(const gchar* value)
 	return quote_generic(value, '\'', '\'');
 }
 
-char * __attribute__((deprecated))
+char * MDB_DEPRECATED
 mdb_get_coltype_string(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type)
 {
 	static int warn_deprecated = 0;
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ mdb_get_coltype_string(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type)
 		return backend->types_table[col_type].name;
 }
 
-int __attribute__((deprecated))
+int MDB_DEPRECATED
 mdb_coltype_takes_length(MdbBackend *backend, int col_type)
 {
 	static int warn_deprecated = 0;
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ mdb_colbacktype_takes_length(const MdbColumn *col)
 	return type->needs_length;
 }
 
-void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_init_backends() {
+void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_init_backends() {
 	fprintf(stderr, "mdb_init_backends() is DEPRECATED and does nothing. Stop calling it.\n");
 }
 
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ void mdb_register_backend(char *backend_name, guint32 capabilities, MdbBackendTy
 	g_hash_table_insert(mdb_backends, backend_name, backend);
 }
 
-void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_remove_backends() {
+void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_remove_backends() {
 	fprintf(stderr, "mdb_remove_backends() is DEPRECATED and does nothing. Stop calling it.\n");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libmdb/mem.c b/src/libmdb/mem.c
index 49ee3f1..eb6c11d 100644
--- a/src/libmdb/mem.c
+++ b/src/libmdb/mem.c
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
 
 #include "mdbtools.h"
 
-void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_init() 
+void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_init() 
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "mdb_init() is DEPRECATED and does nothing. Stop calling it.\n");
 }
 
-void __attribute__((deprecated)) mdb_exit()
+void MDB_DEPRECATED mdb_exit()
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "mdb_exit() is DEPRECATED and does nothing. Stop calling it.\n");
 }