diff --git a/reftable/basics.h b/reftable/basics.h
index 59000798f0..fd59cbb772 100644
--- a/reftable/basics.h
+++ b/reftable/basics.h
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
 #include "system.h"
 #include "reftable-basics.h"
 
+#define REFTABLE_UNUSED __attribute__((__unused__))
+
 struct reftable_buf {
 	size_t alloc;
 	size_t len;
diff --git a/reftable/blocksource.c b/reftable/blocksource.c
index 02972c46f4..78c1be2337 100644
--- a/reftable/blocksource.c
+++ b/reftable/blocksource.c
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
 #include "reftable-blocksource.h"
 #include "reftable-error.h"
 
-static void reftable_buf_return_block(void *b UNUSED, struct reftable_block *dest)
+static void reftable_buf_return_block(void *b REFTABLE_UNUSED, struct reftable_block *dest)
 {
 	if (dest->len)
 		memset(dest->data, 0xff, dest->len);
 	reftable_free(dest->data);
 }
 
-static void reftable_buf_close(void *b UNUSED)
+static void reftable_buf_close(void *b REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ static uint64_t file_size(void *b)
 	return ((struct file_block_source *)b)->size;
 }
 
-static void file_return_block(void *b UNUSED, struct reftable_block *dest UNUSED)
+static void file_return_block(void *b REFTABLE_UNUSED, struct reftable_block *dest REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/reftable/iter.c b/reftable/iter.c
index b2ffb09c16..f520382e70 100644
--- a/reftable/iter.c
+++ b/reftable/iter.c
@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@ int iterator_next(struct reftable_iterator *it, struct reftable_record *rec)
 	return it->ops->next(it->iter_arg, rec);
 }
 
-static int empty_iterator_seek(void *arg UNUSED, struct reftable_record *want UNUSED)
+static int empty_iterator_seek(void *arg REFTABLE_UNUSED, struct reftable_record *want REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int empty_iterator_next(void *arg UNUSED, struct reftable_record *rec UNUSED)
+static int empty_iterator_next(void *arg REFTABLE_UNUSED, struct reftable_record *rec REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static void empty_iterator_close(void *arg UNUSED)
+static void empty_iterator_close(void *arg REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 }
 
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ static int indexed_table_ref_iter_next_block(struct indexed_table_ref_iter *it)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int indexed_table_ref_iter_seek(void *p UNUSED,
-				       struct reftable_record *want UNUSED)
+static int indexed_table_ref_iter_seek(void *p REFTABLE_UNUSED,
+				       struct reftable_record *want REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	return REFTABLE_API_ERROR;
 }
diff --git a/reftable/record.c b/reftable/record.c
index 9a1edf39a0..142853d507 100644
--- a/reftable/record.c
+++ b/reftable/record.c
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ static void reftable_obj_record_release(void *rec)
 }
 
 static int reftable_obj_record_copy_from(void *rec, const void *src_rec,
-					 uint32_t hash_size UNUSED)
+					 uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	struct reftable_obj_record *obj = rec;
 	const struct reftable_obj_record *src = src_rec;
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ static uint8_t reftable_obj_record_val_type(const void *rec)
 }
 
 static int reftable_obj_record_encode(const void *rec, struct string_view s,
-				      uint32_t hash_size UNUSED)
+				      uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	const struct reftable_obj_record *r = rec;
 	struct string_view start = s;
@@ -563,8 +563,8 @@ static int reftable_obj_record_encode(const void *rec, struct string_view s,
 
 static int reftable_obj_record_decode(void *rec, struct reftable_buf key,
 				      uint8_t val_type, struct string_view in,
-				      uint32_t hash_size UNUSED,
-				      struct reftable_buf *scratch UNUSED)
+				      uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED,
+				      struct reftable_buf *scratch REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	struct string_view start = in;
 	struct reftable_obj_record *r = rec;
@@ -618,13 +618,13 @@ static int reftable_obj_record_decode(void *rec, struct reftable_buf key,
 	return start.len - in.len;
 }
 
-static int not_a_deletion(const void *p UNUSED)
+static int not_a_deletion(const void *p REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static int reftable_obj_record_equal_void(const void *a, const void *b,
-					  uint32_t hash_size UNUSED)
+					  uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	struct reftable_obj_record *ra = (struct reftable_obj_record *) a;
 	struct reftable_obj_record *rb = (struct reftable_obj_record *) b;
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ static int reftable_index_record_key(const void *r, struct reftable_buf *dest)
 }
 
 static int reftable_index_record_copy_from(void *rec, const void *src_rec,
-					   uint32_t hash_size UNUSED)
+					   uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	struct reftable_index_record *dst = rec;
 	const struct reftable_index_record *src = src_rec;
@@ -1075,13 +1075,13 @@ static void reftable_index_record_release(void *rec)
 	reftable_buf_release(&idx->last_key);
 }
 
-static uint8_t reftable_index_record_val_type(const void *rec UNUSED)
+static uint8_t reftable_index_record_val_type(const void *rec REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static int reftable_index_record_encode(const void *rec, struct string_view out,
-					uint32_t hash_size UNUSED)
+					uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	const struct reftable_index_record *r =
 		(const struct reftable_index_record *)rec;
@@ -1097,10 +1097,10 @@ static int reftable_index_record_encode(const void *rec, struct string_view out,
 }
 
 static int reftable_index_record_decode(void *rec, struct reftable_buf key,
-					uint8_t val_type UNUSED,
+					uint8_t val_type REFTABLE_UNUSED,
 					struct string_view in,
-					uint32_t hash_size UNUSED,
-					struct reftable_buf *scratch UNUSED)
+					uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED,
+					struct reftable_buf *scratch REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	struct string_view start = in;
 	struct reftable_index_record *r = rec;
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ static int reftable_index_record_decode(void *rec, struct reftable_buf key,
 }
 
 static int reftable_index_record_equal(const void *a, const void *b,
-				       uint32_t hash_size UNUSED)
+				       uint32_t hash_size REFTABLE_UNUSED)
 {
 	struct reftable_index_record *ia = (struct reftable_index_record *) a;
 	struct reftable_index_record *ib = (struct reftable_index_record *) b;
diff --git a/reftable/writer.c b/reftable/writer.c
index 5961698311..bb00e89f53 100644
--- a/reftable/writer.c
+++ b/reftable/writer.c
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ static void write_object_record(void *void_arg, void *key)
 done:;
 }
 
-static void object_record_free(void *void_arg UNUSED, void *key)
+static void object_record_free(void *void_arg REFTABLE_UNUSED, void *key)
 {
 	struct obj_index_tree_node *entry = key;
 
