diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 3762f04b4a4..b54fdf8053a 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 2011-04-14  Paul Eggert  <eggert@cs.ucla.edu>
 
+	* syntax.c (syntax_temp): Define only if !__GNUC__.
+
 	* sound.c (current_sound_device, current_sound): Now static.
 
 	* search.c (searchbufs, searchbuf_head): Now static.
diff --git a/src/syntax.c b/src/syntax.c
index 96d50f9a4e3..518ba3bba15 100644
--- a/src/syntax.c
+++ b/src/syntax.c
@@ -98,10 +98,12 @@ along with GNU Emacs.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
 static Lisp_Object Qsyntax_table_p;
 static Lisp_Object Qsyntax_table, Qscan_error;
 
+#ifndef __GNUC__
 /* Used as a temporary in SYNTAX_ENTRY and other macros in syntax.h,
    if not compiled with GCC.  No need to mark it, since it is used
    only very temporarily.  */
 Lisp_Object syntax_temp;
+#endif
 
 /* This is the internal form of the parse state used in parse-partial-sexp.  */