diff --git a/Lib/swigrun.swg b/Lib/swigrun.swg
index 911e028b2..0e903a336 100644
--- a/Lib/swigrun.swg
+++ b/Lib/swigrun.swg
@@ -38,8 +38,12 @@
   with your compiler or so.
 */
 #ifndef SWIGRUNTIME
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#define SWIGRUNTIME __attribute__ ((unused)) static
+#else
 #define SWIGRUNTIME static
 #endif
+#endif
 #ifndef SWIGRUNTIMEINLINE
 #define SWIGRUNTIMEINLINE SWIGRUNTIME SWIGINLINE
 #endif