diff --git a/libnetutil/netutil.h b/libnetutil/netutil.h
index 58fe71286..cad25454e 100644
--- a/libnetutil/netutil.h
+++ b/libnetutil/netutil.h
@@ -162,11 +162,15 @@ struct abstract_ip_hdr {
   u32 ipid; /* IPv4 IP ID or IPv6 flow label. */
 };
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
+#if defined(__GNUC__)
+#define NORETURN __attribute__((noreturn))
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+#define NORETURN __declspec((noreturn))
+#else
+#define NORETURN
 #endif
-void netutil_fatal(const char *str, ...)
-     __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+
+NORETURN void netutil_fatal(const char *str, ...)
      __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 int netutil_error(const char *str, ...)
diff --git a/nbase/nbase.h b/nbase/nbase.h
index 89ffc78a0..7a9909d39 100644
--- a/nbase/nbase.h
+++ b/nbase/nbase.h
@@ -371,6 +371,14 @@ extern "C" int vsnprintf (char *, size_t, const char *, va_list);
 #define inline __inline
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__GNUC__)
+#define NORETURN __attribute__((noreturn))
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+#define NORETURN __declspec((noreturn))
+#else
+#define NORETURN
+#endif
+
 
 static inline int checked_fd_isset(int fd, fd_set *fds) {
 #ifndef WIN32
diff --git a/nbase/nbase_memalloc.c b/nbase/nbase_memalloc.c
index 583d702e8..3bdf61339 100644
--- a/nbase/nbase_memalloc.c
+++ b/nbase/nbase_memalloc.c
@@ -129,11 +129,7 @@
 #include "nbase.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
-#endif
-static void fatal(char *fmt, ...)
-  __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+NORETURN static void fatal(char *fmt, ...)
   __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 static void fatal(char *fmt, ...) {
diff --git a/ncat/util.h b/ncat/util.h
index d162380f3..e3a9963fe 100644
--- a/ncat/util.h
+++ b/ncat/util.h
@@ -168,11 +168,7 @@ do { \
 
 void die(char *);
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
-#endif
-void bye(const char *, ...)
-     __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+NORETURN void bye(const char *, ...)
      __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 /* zero out some memory, bzero() is deprecated */
diff --git a/nmap_error.h b/nmap_error.h
index e67f6d216..3edbc1c1f 100644
--- a/nmap_error.h
+++ b/nmap_error.h
@@ -154,20 +154,12 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
-#endif
-void fatal(const char *fmt, ...)
-     __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+NORETURN void fatal(const char *fmt, ...)
      __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 void error(const char *fmt, ...)
      __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
-#endif
-void pfatal(const char *err, ...)
-     __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+NORETURN void pfatal(const char *err, ...)
      __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 void gh_perror(const char *err, ...)
      __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
diff --git a/nsock/src/error.h b/nsock/src/error.h
index 0d29e063b..60a97bbff 100644
--- a/nsock/src/error.h
+++ b/nsock/src/error.h
@@ -74,19 +74,18 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 
-
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
+#if defined(__GNUC__)
+#define NORETURN __attribute__((noreturn))
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+#define NORETURN __declspec((noreturn))
+#else
+#define NORETURN
 #endif
-void fatal(char *fmt, ...)
-  __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+
+NORETURN void fatal(char *fmt, ...)
   __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-__declspec(noreturn)
-#endif
-void pfatal(char *fmt, ...)
-  __attribute__ ((noreturn))
+NORETURN void pfatal(char *fmt, ...)
   __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 #endif /* ERROR_H */