diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index e625fc518..be3a42312 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -623,7 +623,8 @@ MAYBE_WARN="-Wall -Wextra \
 -Wpacked -Wswitch-enum -Wmissing-format-attribute \
 -Wstrict-aliasing=2 -Winit-self -Wunsafe-loop-optimizations \
 -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wold-style-definition \
--Wno-missing-field-initializers -Wno-unused-parameter"
+-Wno-missing-field-initializers -Wno-unused-parameter \
+-Wno-attributes"
 
 
 # invalidate cached value if MAYBE_WARN has changed
@@ -844,9 +845,19 @@ AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([src/cairo-features.h],
 # define CAIRO_END_DECLS
 #endif
 
+#if    __GNUC__ > 3 || (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 4)
+#define CAIRO_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT 		\
+  __attribute__((__warn_unused_result__))
+#else
+#define CAIRO_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+#endif /* __GNUC__ */
+
 #ifndef cairo_public
 # define cairo_public
 #endif
+#ifndef cairo_public_warn
+# define cairo_public_warn CAIRO_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+#endif
 
 #define CAIRO_VERSION_MAJOR $CAIRO_VERSION_MAJOR
 #define CAIRO_VERSION_MINOR $CAIRO_VERSION_MINOR
diff --git a/pixman/configure.in b/pixman/configure.in
index c9cdae8f5..4cbb5ba5f 100644
--- a/pixman/configure.in
+++ b/pixman/configure.in
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ WARN_CFLAGS=""
 if test "x$GCC" = "xyes"; then
 	WARN_CFLAGS="-Wall -Wpointer-arith -Wstrict-prototypes \
 	-Wmissing-prototypes -Wmissing-declarations \
-	-Wnested-externs -fno-strict-aliasing"
+	-Wnested-externs -fno-strict-aliasing \
+	-Wno-attributes"
 fi
 
 AC_SUBST(WARN_CFLAGS)
diff --git a/pixman/src/pixman.h b/pixman/src/pixman.h
index 5c1212796..779e30537 100644
--- a/pixman/src/pixman.h
+++ b/pixman/src/pixman.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ SOFTWARE.
 #include "pixman-remap.h"
 
 #if (__GNUC__ > 3 || (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 3)) && defined(__ELF__) && !defined(__sun__)
-#define pixman_private		__attribute__((__visibility__("hidden")))
+#define pixman_private		__attribute__((__visibility__("hidden"),__warn_unused_result__))
 #elif defined(__SUNPRO_C) && (__SUNPRO_C >= 0x550)
 #define pixman_private		__hidden
 #else /* not gcc >= 3.3 and not Sun Studio >= 8 */
diff --git a/src/cairo.h b/src/cairo.h
index a80efde21..5fc05e355 100644
--- a/src/cairo.h
+++ b/src/cairo.h
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ cairo_public void *
 cairo_get_user_data (cairo_t			 *cr,
 		     const cairo_user_data_key_t *key);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_set_user_data (cairo_t			 *cr,
 		     const cairo_user_data_key_t *key,
 		     void			 *user_data,
@@ -972,7 +972,7 @@ cairo_font_options_copy (const cairo_font_options_t *original);
 cairo_public void
 cairo_font_options_destroy (cairo_font_options_t *options);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_font_options_status (cairo_font_options_t *options);
 
 cairo_public void
@@ -1088,7 +1088,7 @@ cairo_font_face_destroy (cairo_font_face_t *font_face);
 cairo_public unsigned int
 cairo_font_face_get_reference_count (cairo_font_face_t *font_face);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_font_face_status (cairo_font_face_t *font_face);
 
 /**
@@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@ cairo_public void *
 cairo_font_face_get_user_data (cairo_font_face_t	   *font_face,
 			       const cairo_user_data_key_t *key);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_font_face_set_user_data (cairo_font_face_t	   *font_face,
 			       const cairo_user_data_key_t *key,
 			       void			   *user_data,
@@ -1164,7 +1164,7 @@ cairo_scaled_font_destroy (cairo_scaled_font_t *scaled_font);
 cairo_public unsigned int
 cairo_scaled_font_get_reference_count (cairo_scaled_font_t *scaled_font);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_scaled_font_status (cairo_scaled_font_t *scaled_font);
 
 cairo_public cairo_font_type_t
@@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ cairo_public void *
 cairo_scaled_font_get_user_data (cairo_scaled_font_t         *scaled_font,
 				 const cairo_user_data_key_t *key);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_scaled_font_set_user_data (cairo_scaled_font_t         *scaled_font,
 				 const cairo_user_data_key_t *key,
 				 void                        *user_data,
@@ -1392,7 +1392,7 @@ cairo_path_destroy (cairo_path_t *path);
 
 /* Error status queries */
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_status (cairo_t *cr);
 
 cairo_public const char *
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ cairo_surface_destroy (cairo_surface_t *surface);
 cairo_public unsigned int
 cairo_surface_get_reference_count (cairo_surface_t *surface);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_surface_status (cairo_surface_t *surface);
 
 /**
@@ -1482,11 +1482,11 @@ cairo_surface_get_content (cairo_surface_t *surface);
 
 #if CAIRO_HAS_PNG_FUNCTIONS
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_surface_write_to_png (cairo_surface_t	*surface,
 			    const char		*filename);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_surface_write_to_png_stream (cairo_surface_t	*surface,
 				   cairo_write_func_t	write_func,
 				   void			*closure);
@@ -1497,7 +1497,7 @@ cairo_public void *
 cairo_surface_get_user_data (cairo_surface_t		 *surface,
 			     const cairo_user_data_key_t *key);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_surface_set_user_data (cairo_surface_t		 *surface,
 			     const cairo_user_data_key_t *key,
 			     void			 *user_data,
@@ -1642,14 +1642,14 @@ cairo_pattern_destroy (cairo_pattern_t *pattern);
 cairo_public unsigned int
 cairo_pattern_get_reference_count (cairo_pattern_t *pattern);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_status (cairo_pattern_t *pattern);
 
 cairo_public void *
 cairo_pattern_get_user_data (cairo_pattern_t		 *pattern,
 			     const cairo_user_data_key_t *key);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_set_user_data (cairo_pattern_t		 *pattern,
 			     const cairo_user_data_key_t *key,
 			     void			 *user_data,
@@ -1758,32 +1758,32 @@ cairo_pattern_set_filter (cairo_pattern_t *pattern, cairo_filter_t filter);
 cairo_public cairo_filter_t
 cairo_pattern_get_filter (cairo_pattern_t *pattern);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_get_rgba (cairo_pattern_t *pattern,
 			double *red, double *green,
 			double *blue, double *alpha);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_get_surface (cairo_pattern_t *pattern,
 			   cairo_surface_t **surface);
 
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_get_color_stop_rgba (cairo_pattern_t *pattern,
 				   int index, double *offset,
 				   double *red, double *green,
 				   double *blue, double *alpha);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_get_color_stop_count (cairo_pattern_t *pattern,
 				    int *count);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_get_linear_points (cairo_pattern_t *pattern,
 				 double *x0, double *y0,
 				 double *x1, double *y1);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_pattern_get_radial_circles (cairo_pattern_t *pattern,
 				  double *x0, double *y0, double *r0,
 				  double *x1, double *y1, double *r1);
@@ -1820,7 +1820,7 @@ cairo_matrix_scale (cairo_matrix_t *matrix, double sx, double sy);
 cairo_public void
 cairo_matrix_rotate (cairo_matrix_t *matrix, double radians);
 
-cairo_public cairo_status_t
+cairo_public_warn cairo_status_t
 cairo_matrix_invert (cairo_matrix_t *matrix);
 
 cairo_public void
diff --git a/src/cairoint.h b/src/cairoint.h
index 77eda9060..5e62529ea 100644
--- a/src/cairoint.h
+++ b/src/cairoint.h
@@ -102,13 +102,15 @@ CAIRO_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 /* slim_internal.h */
 #if (__GNUC__ > 3 || (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 3)) && defined(__ELF__) && !defined(__sun)
-#define cairo_private		__attribute__((__visibility__("hidden")))
+#define cairo_private			__attribute__((__visibility__("hidden"),__warn_unused_result__))
 #elif defined(__SUNPRO_C) && (__SUNPRO_C >= 0x550)
-#define cairo_private		__hidden
+#define cairo_private			__hidden CAIRO_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
 #else /* not gcc >= 3.3 and not Sun Studio >= 8 */
-#define cairo_private
+#define cairo_private			CAIRO_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
 #endif
 
+#define cairo_warn CAIRO_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+
 /* This macro allow us to deprecate a function by providing an alias
    for the old function name to the new function name. With this
    macro, binary compatibility is preserved. The macro only works on
diff --git a/src/check-headers.sh b/src/check-headers.sh
index 1d0ebf816..2ac74fd21 100755
--- a/src/check-headers.sh
+++ b/src/check-headers.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ xargs grep -B 1 '^cairo_.*[ 	]\+(' |
 awk '
 /^--$/ { context=""; public=0; next; }
 /:cairo_.*[ 	]+\(/ { if (!public) {print context; print; print "--";} next; }
-/-cairo_public[ 	]/ {public=1;}
+/-cairo_public.*[ 	]/ {public=1;}
 { context=$0; }
 ' |
 sed 's/[.]h-/.h:/' |