diff --git a/include/Makefile.am b/include/Makefile.am
index 3875fecd8..b1a818d23 100644
--- a/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/Makefile.am
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ nobase_include_HEADERS = \
                        osmocom/core/crc64gen.h \
                        osmocom/core/crc8gen.h \
                        osmocom/core/crcgen.h \
+                       osmocom/core/defs.h \
                        osmocom/core/gsmtap.h \
                        osmocom/core/gsmtap_util.h \
                        osmocom/core/linuxlist.h \
diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/defs.h b/include/osmocom/core/defs.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e3afbff2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/defs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#ifndef OSMOCORE_DEFS_H
+#define OSMOCORE_DEFS_H
+
+/*! \defgroup utils General-purpose utility functions
+ *  @{
+ */
+
+/*! \file defs.h
+ *  \brief General definitions that are meant to be included from header files.
+ */
+
+/*! \brief Check for gcc and version.
+ *
+ * \note Albeit glibc provides a features.h file that contains a similar
+ *       definition (__GNUC_PREREQ), this definition has been copied from there
+ *       to have it available with other libraries, too.
+ *
+ * \return != 0 iff gcc is used and it's version is at least maj.min.
+ */
+#if defined __GNUC__ && defined __GNUC_MINOR__
+# define OSMO_GNUC_PREREQ(maj, min) \
+	((__GNUC__ << 16) + __GNUC_MINOR__ >= ((maj) << 16) + (min))
+#else
+# define OSMO_GNUC_PREREQ(maj, min) 0
+#endif
+
+/*! \brief Set the deprecated attribute with a message.
+ */
+#if ! defined(__GNUC__)
+# define OSMO_DEPRECATED(text)
+#elif OSMO_GNUC_PREREQ(4,5)
+# define OSMO_DEPRECATED(text)  __attribute__((__deprecated__(text)))
+#else
+# define OSMO_DEPRECATED(text)  __attribute__((__deprecated__))
+#endif
+
+/*! @} */
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h b/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h
index 1c55dfb06..f412e3e69 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
-#include <osmocom/gsm/gsm_utils.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/defs.h>
 
 #define ADD_MODULO(sum, delta, modulo) do {	\
 	if ((sum += delta) >= modulo)		\
@@ -37,18 +37,6 @@
 
 #define GSM_MAX_FN	(26*51*2048)
 
-/*! \brief Set the deprecated attribute with a message.
- *
- * \todo Move this to a global header utility file.
- * \todo Check for compiler version to selectivly enable the message.
- */
-#if 0
-#define OSMO_DEPRECATED(text)  __attribute__((deprecated(text)))
-#else
-#define OSMO_DEPRECATED(text)  __attribute__((__deprecated__))
-#endif
-
-
 struct gsm_time {
 	uint32_t	fn;	/* FN count */
 	uint16_t	t1;	/* FN div (26*51) */