diff --git a/epan/proto.h b/epan/proto.h
index fc38254e44..2401edc421 100644
--- a/epan/proto.h
+++ b/epan/proto.h
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ struct expert_field;
 /** Make a const val64_string[] look like a _val64_string pointer, used to set header_field_info.strings */
 #define VALS64(x)   (const struct _val64_string*)(x)
 
+/** Something to satisfy checkAPIs when you have a pointer to a value_string_ext (e.g., one built with value_string_ext_new()) */
+#define VALS_EXT_PTR(x) (x)
+
 /** Make a const true_false_string[] look like a _true_false_string pointer, used to set header_field_info.strings */
 #define TFS(x)	(const struct true_false_string*)(x)
 
diff --git a/tools/checkAPIs.pl b/tools/checkAPIs.pl
index 5352709c7b..dc850c8dc5 100755
--- a/tools/checkAPIs.pl
+++ b/tools/checkAPIs.pl
@@ -1817,7 +1817,7 @@ sub check_hf_entries($$)
                         print STDERR "Error: $hf is passing the address of a pointer to RVALS in $filename\n";
                         $errorCount++;
                 }
-                if ($convert !~ m/^((0[xX]0?)?0$|NULL$|VALS|VALS64|RVALS|TFS|CF_FUNC|FRAMENUM_TYPE|&)/ && $display !~ /BASE_CUSTOM/) {
+                if ($convert !~ m/^((0[xX]0?)?0$|NULL$|VALS|VALS64|VALS_EXT_PTR|RVALS|TFS|CF_FUNC|FRAMENUM_TYPE|&)/ && $display !~ /BASE_CUSTOM/) {
                         print STDERR "Error: non-null $hf 'convert' field missing 'VALS|VALS64|RVALS|TFS|CF_FUNC|FRAMENUM_TYPE|&' in $filename ?\n";
                         $errorCount++;
                 }