diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 20d94e21..69490632 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 dnl AM_PATH_ESD([MINIMUM-VERSION, [ACTION-IF-FOUND [, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND]]])
 dnl Test for ESD, and define ESD_CFLAGS and ESD_LIBS
 dnl
-AC_DEFUN(AM_PATH_ESD,
+AC_DEFUN([AM_PATH_ESD],
 [dnl 
 dnl Get the cflags and libraries from the esd-config script
 dnl
@@ -162,4 +162,18 @@ int main ()
   AC_SUBST(ESD_LIBS)
   rm -f conf.esdtest
 ])
+
+AC_DEFUN([AC_C___ATTRIBUTE__],
+[
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(for __attribute__)
+  AC_CACHE_VAL(ac_cv___attribute__, [
+  AC_TRY_COMPILE([#include <stdlib.h>],
+  [int func(int x); int foo(int x __attribute__ ((unused))) { exit(1); }],
+  ac_cv___attribute__=yes, ac_cv___attribute__=no)])
+  if test "$ac_cv___attribute__" = "yes"; then
+    AC_DEFINE(HAVE___ATTRIBUTE__, 1, [Define to 1 if your compiler has __attribute__])
+  fi
+  AC_MSG_RESULT($ac_cv___attribute__)
+])
+
 AC_DEFUN([AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION], [])
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index f1fd7d49..edc7b9a9 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(alloca.h stdarg.h wctype.h)
 AC_TYPE_SIGNAL
 
 AC_C_BIGENDIAN
+AC_C___ATTRIBUTE__
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(getcwd)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(mkdir)
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ fi
 AC_SUBST(XVM_LIBS)
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(xrandr,
-  [  --enable-xrandr          compile with RandR support [default=no]], ,enable_xrandr=no)
+  [  --enable-xrandr         compile with RandR support [default=no]], ,enable_xrandr=no)
 if test "x$enable_xrandr" = "xyes"; then
 AC_CHECK_LIB(Xrandr, XRRQueryExtension,
              AC_DEFINE(HAS_XRANDR, 1, [RandR support]) XRANDR_LIBS=-lXrandr, ,$X_LIBS)
@@ -203,6 +204,13 @@ echo "Warning: No ales were found in your refrigerator."
 echo "  We highly suggest that you rectify this situation immediately."
 ])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(gcc-warnings,
+  [  --enable-gcc-warnings   enable GCC compiler warnings [default=no]], ,
+  enable_gcc_warnings=no) 
+if test "x$enable_gcc_warnings" = "xyes"; then
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -W -Wall -Wmissing-prototypes -Wmissing-declarations -Wstrict-prototypes -Waggregate-return -Wcast-align -Wpointer-arith #-Wshadow -Wwrite-strings -Wunreachable-code"
+fi
+
 AC_OUTPUT([
 Makefile
 src/Makefile
diff --git a/dox/dox.h b/dox/dox.h
index 221d3614..073836e3 100644
--- a/dox/dox.h
+++ b/dox/dox.h
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ extern Drawable     vIcDrw;
 #include <Fnlib.h>
 #endif
 
+#if HAVE___ATTRIBUTE__
+#define __UNUSED__ __attribute__((unused))
+#else
+#define __UNUSED__
+#endif
+
 #define FILEPATH_LEN_MAX 4096
 
 #define DEFAULT_LINKCOLOR_R 30
diff --git a/dox/ttfont.c b/dox/ttfont.c
index 468075df..12f82628 100644
--- a/dox/ttfont.c
+++ b/dox/ttfont.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ ImlibSetFgColorFromGC(Display * disp, GC gc, Colormap cm)
 
 void
 EFont_draw_string(Display * disp, Drawable win, GC gc, int x, int y, char *text,
-		  Efont * f, Visual * vis, Colormap cm)
+		  Efont * f, Visual * vis __UNUSED__, Colormap cm)
 {
    Imlib_Image         im;
    int                 w, h, ascent, descent;
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void
 Efont_extents(Efont * f, char *text, int *font_ascent_return,
 	      int *font_descent_return, int *width_return,
 	      int *max_ascent_return, int *max_descent_return,
-	      int *lbearing_return, int *rbearing_return)
+	      int *lbearing_return __UNUSED__, int *rbearing_return __UNUSED__)
 {
    int                 height;
 
diff --git a/src/E.h b/src/E.h
index 32485e4c..776ca116 100644
--- a/src/E.h
+++ b/src/E.h
@@ -191,6 +191,12 @@ if (__xim) XDestroyImage(__xim);}
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#if HAVE___ATTRIBUTE__
+#define __UNUSED__ __attribute__((unused))
+#else
+#define __UNUSED__
+#endif
+
 /* workaround for 64bit architectures - xlib expects 32bit CARDINALS to be */
 /* long's on 64bit machines... thus well the CARD32's Im unsing shoudl be.. */
 #define CARD32 long
diff --git a/src/stacking.c b/src/stacking.c
index 5216cbca..0266962a 100644
--- a/src/stacking.c
+++ b/src/stacking.c
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ EwinListRaise(EWinList * ewl, EWin * ewin, int mode)
 /*
  * The global stacking and focus lists
  */
-EWinList            EwinListFocus = { "Focus" };
-EWinList            EwinListStack = { "Stack" };
+EWinList            EwinListFocus = { "Focus", 0, 0, NULL };
+EWinList            EwinListStack = { "Stack", 0, 0, NULL };
 
 EWin              **
 EwinListGetStacking(int *num)