diff --git a/src/error.h b/src/error.h
index daab13a..ecef253 100644
--- a/src/error.h
+++ b/src/error.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdnoreturn.h>
 
+#include "util/attributes.h"
+
 /* defines statuses in the 0..127, any higher/negative values are POSIX-reserved.
  * The max value (or -1) shall mean the application is running, anything else shall mean an exit code of some kind */
 enum {
@@ -28,10 +30,10 @@ enum {
 };
 typedef int8_t gamestatus;
 
-__attribute__((format(printf, 1, 2))) void debug(char const*, ...); // prints a debug message to stdout if the DEBUG environment variable is set, otherwise the call is ignored.
-__attribute__((format(printf, 1, 2))) void info(char const*, ...);  // prints an info message to stdout
-__attribute__((format(printf, 1, 2))) void warn(char const*, ...);  // prints a warning message to stderr
-__attribute__((format(printf, 1, 2))) void error(char const*, ...); // prints an warning message to stderr
+atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) void debug(char const*, ...); // prints a debug message to stdout if the DEBUG environment variable is set, otherwise the call is ignored.
+atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) void info(char const*, ...);  // prints an info message to stdout
+atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) void warn(char const*, ...);  // prints a warning message to stderr
+atrb_nonnull(1) atrb_format(printf, 1, 2) void error(char const*, ...); // prints an warning message to stderr
 
 // prints an error message to stderr before exiting
-__attribute__((format(printf, 4, 5))) noreturn void fatal(gamestatus, char const* file_name, uint32_t line, char const* fmt, ...);
+atrb_nonnull(2, 4) atrb_format(printf, 4, 5) noreturn void fatal(gamestatus, char const* file_name, uint32_t line, char const* fmt, ...);
diff --git a/src/util/attributes.h b/src/util/attributes.h
index 223f4fe..c187f14 100644
--- a/src/util/attributes.h
+++ b/src/util/attributes.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #define atrb_unused
 #define atrb_pure
 #define atrb_const
+#define atrb_format()
+#define atrb_nonnull()
 
 // define the attributes where possible
 #if defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__clang__)
@@ -25,10 +27,21 @@
 #  define atrb_pure __attribute__((pure))
 # endif
 
+
 # if __has_attribute(const)
 #  undef atrb_const
 #  define atrb_const __attribute__((const))
 # endif
+
+# if __has_attribute(format)
+#  undef atrb_format
+#  define atrb_format(...) __attribute__((format(__VA_ARGS__)))
+# endif
+
+# if __has_attribute(nonnull)
+#  undef atrb_nonnull
+#  define atrb_nonnull(...) __attribute__((nonnull(__VA_ARGS__)))
+# endif
 #elif defined(_MSC_VER)
 # undef atrb_depatrb_deprecated
 # define atrb_deprecated __declspec(deprecated)