diff --git a/fmt/format.cc b/fmt/format.cc
index ff960eae..4dd408b3 100644
--- a/fmt/format.cc
+++ b/fmt/format.cc
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@
 
 // Dummy implementations of strerror_r and strerror_s called if corresponding
 // system functions are not available.
-static inline fmt::internal::Null<> strerror_r(int, char *, ...) {
+FMT_MAYBE_UNUSED static inline fmt::internal::Null<> strerror_r(int, char *, ...) {
   return fmt::internal::Null<>();
 }
-static inline fmt::internal::Null<> strerror_s(char *, std::size_t, ...) {
+FMT_MAYBE_UNUSED static inline fmt::internal::Null<> strerror_s(char *, std::size_t, ...) {
   return fmt::internal::Null<>();
 }
 
@@ -180,9 +180,6 @@ int safe_strerror(
       : error_code_(err_code), buffer_(buf), buffer_size_(buf_size) {}
 
     int run() {
-      // Suppress a warning about unused strerror_r and strerror_s.
-      strerror_r(0, FMT_NULL, "");
-      strerror_s(FMT_NULL, 0, "");
       return handle(strerror_r(error_code_, buffer_, buffer_size_));
     }
   };
diff --git a/fmt/format.h b/fmt/format.h
index c91bbf60..8b653fc0 100644
--- a/fmt/format.h
+++ b/fmt/format.h
@@ -153,6 +153,23 @@ typedef __int64          intmax_t;
 # define FMT_HAS_CPP_ATTRIBUTE(x) 0
 #endif
 
+#if FMT_HAS_CPP_ATTRIBUTE(maybe_unused)
+# define FMT_HAS_CXX17_ATTRIBUTE_MAYBE_UNUSED
+// VC++ 1910 support /std: option and that will set _MSVC_LANG macro
+// Clang with Microsoft CodeGen doesn't define _MSVC_LANG macro
+#elif defined(_MSVC_LANG) && _MSVC_LANG > 201402
+# define FMT_HAS_CXX17_ATTRIBUTE_MAYBE_UNUSED
+#endif
+
+#ifdef FMT_HAS_CXX17_ATTRIBUTE_MAYBE_UNUSED
+# define FMT_MAYBE_UNUSED [[maybe_unused]]
+// g++/clang++ also support [[gnu::unused]]. However, we don't use it.
+#elif defined(__GNUC__)
+# define FMT_MAYBE_UNUSED __attribute__((unused))
+#else
+#define FMT_MAYBE_UNUSED
+#endif
+
 // Use the compiler's attribute noreturn
 #if defined(__MINGW32__) || defined(__MINGW64__)
 # define FMT_NORETURN __attribute__((noreturn))