diff --git a/evrpc.c b/evrpc.c
index e05972c3..8600297b 100644
--- a/evrpc.c
+++ b/evrpc.c
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@
 #include "event2/event_struct.h"
 #include "event2/rpc.h"
 #include "event2/rpc_struct.h"
-#include "event2/rpc_compat.h"
 #include "evrpc-internal.h"
 #include "event2/http.h"
 #include "event2/buffer.h"
diff --git a/include/event2/rpc_compat.h b/include/event2/rpc_compat.h
index 5711efa7..5d59ad1b 100644
--- a/include/event2/rpc_compat.h
+++ b/include/event2/rpc_compat.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 /** backwards compatible accessors that work only with gcc */
-#ifdef __GNUC__
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__STRICT_ANSI__)
 
 #undef EVTAG_ASSIGN
 #undef EVTAG_GET