diff --git a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h
index 91141808f..357b98972 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h
+++ b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+#define GSSAPI_CPP_START	extern "C" {
+#define GSSAPI_CPP_END		}
+#else
+#define GSSAPI_CPP_START
+#define GSSAPI_CPP_END
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Now define the three implementation-dependent types.
  */
@@ -243,9 +251,7 @@ typedef OM_uint32 gss_qop_t;
 #define GSS_IOV_BUFFER_TYPE(_t) ((_t) & ~GSS_IOV_BUFFER_TYPE_FLAG_MASK)
 #define GSS_IOV_BUFFER_FLAGS(_t) ((_t) & GSS_IOV_BUFFER_TYPE_FLAG_MASK)
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_START
 
 /*
  * The implementation must reserve static storage for a
@@ -894,8 +900,6 @@ OM_uint32 GSSAPI_LIB_FUNCTION
 gss_release_iov_buffer(OM_uint32 *, gss_iov_buffer_desc *, int);
 
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-}
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_END
 
 #endif /* GSSAPI_GSSAPI_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h
index 0baccf509..4d004d90b 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h
+++ b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@
 
 #include <gssapi.h>
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_START
 
 #if !defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__attribute__)
 #define __attribute__(x)
@@ -246,8 +244,6 @@ gss_krb5_set_allowable_enctypes(OM_uint32 *minor_status,
 				OM_uint32 num_enctypes,
 				int32_t *enctypes);
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-}
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_END
 
 #endif /* GSSAPI_SPNEGO_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_ntlm.h b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_ntlm.h
index 826ea72f1..28ab974db 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_ntlm.h
+++ b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_ntlm.h
@@ -38,14 +38,10 @@
 
 #include <gssapi.h>
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_START
 
 extern GSSAPI_LIB_VARIABLE gss_OID GSS_NTLM_MECHANISM;
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-}
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_END
 
 #endif /* GSSAPI_NTLM_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_spnego.h b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_spnego.h
index 3c4869f08..c5d372d6d 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_spnego.h
+++ b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi_spnego.h
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@
 
 #include <gssapi.h>
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_START
 
 /*
  * RFC2478, SPNEGO:
@@ -51,8 +49,6 @@ extern "C" {
 extern GSSAPI_LIB_VARIABLE gss_OID GSS_SPNEGO_MECHANISM;
 #define gss_mech_spnego GSS_SPNEGO_MECHANISM
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-}
-#endif
+GSSAPI_CPP_END
 
 #endif /* GSSAPI_SPNEGO_H_ */