diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9e48f9079..eb9a5050d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3570,6 +3570,7 @@ dnl
 dnl Check for -fvisibility=hidden to determine if we can do GNU-style
 dnl visibility attributes for symbol export control
 dnl
+GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS=""
 case "$host" in
   *-*-mingw*)
     dnl on mingw32 we do -fvisibility=hidden and __declspec(dllexport)
@@ -3592,10 +3593,11 @@ case "$host" in
     AS_IF([test "${enable_fvisibility_hidden}" = "yes"], [
       AC_DEFINE([_GLIB_EXTERN], [__attribute__((visibility("default"))) extern],
                 [defines how to decorate public symbols while building])
-      CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -fvisibility=hidden"
+      GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS="-fvisibility=hidden"
     ])
     ;;
 esac
+AC_SUBST(GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS)
 
 dnl Compiler flags; macro originates from systemd
 dnl See https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=608953
diff --git a/gio/Makefile.am b/gio/Makefile.am
index b4edecf59..7d6f91591 100644
--- a/gio/Makefile.am
+++ b/gio/Makefile.am
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ install-data-local: install-ms-lib
 
 uninstall-local: uninstall-ms-lib
 
+libgio_2_0_la_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS)
 libgio_2_0_la_LDFLAGS = $(GLIB_LINK_FLAGS) \
 	$(gio_win32_res_ldflag) \
 	-version-info $(LT_CURRENT):$(LT_REVISION):$(LT_AGE) \
@@ -508,7 +509,7 @@ libgio_2_0_la_LDFLAGS = $(GLIB_LINK_FLAGS) \
 
 if OS_COCOA
 # This is dumb.  The ObjC source file should be properly named .m
-libgio_2_0_la_CFLAGS = -xobjective-c
+libgio_2_0_la_CFLAGS += -xobjective-c
 libgio_2_0_la_LDFLAGS += -Wl,-framework,Foundation
 endif
 
diff --git a/gio/tests/resourceplugin.c b/gio/tests/resourceplugin.c
index 9e3b7048e..b66d54142 100644
--- a/gio/tests/resourceplugin.c
+++ b/gio/tests/resourceplugin.c
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
-#include "config.h"
-
 #include <gio/gio.h>
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+void
 g_io_module_load (GIOModule *module)
 {
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+void
 g_io_module_unload (GIOModule   *module)
 {
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN char **
+char **
 g_io_module_query (void)
 {
   return NULL;
diff --git a/glib/Makefile.am b/glib/Makefile.am
index 951d102e9..98c597801 100644
--- a/glib/Makefile.am
+++ b/glib/Makefile.am
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ pcre_lib = pcre/libpcre.la
 pcre_inc =
 endif
 
+libglib_2_0_la_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS)
 libglib_2_0_la_LIBADD = libcharset/libcharset.la $(printf_la) @GIO@ @GSPAWN@ @PLATFORMDEP@ @ICONV_LIBS@ @G_LIBS_EXTRA@ $(pcre_lib) $(G_THREAD_LIBS_EXTRA) $(G_THREAD_LIBS_FOR_GTHREAD)
 libglib_2_0_la_DEPENDENCIES = libcharset/libcharset.la $(printf_la) @GIO@ @GSPAWN@ @PLATFORMDEP@ $(glib_win32_res) $(glib_def)
 
diff --git a/gmodule/Makefile.am b/gmodule/Makefile.am
index 19737fa3f..92b844a41 100644
--- a/gmodule/Makefile.am
+++ b/gmodule/Makefile.am
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ gmodule_win32_res = gmodule-win32-res.o
 gmodule_win32_res_ldflag = -Wl,$(gmodule_win32_res)
 endif
 
+libgmodule_2_0_la_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS)
 libgmodule_2_0_la_SOURCES = gmodule.c
 libgmodule_2_0_la_LDFLAGS = $(GLIB_LINK_FLAGS) \
 	$(gmodule_win32_res_ldflag) \
diff --git a/gobject/Makefile.am b/gobject/Makefile.am
index 24143f780..615a78030 100644
--- a/gobject/Makefile.am
+++ b/gobject/Makefile.am
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ libgobject_2_0_la_LDFLAGS = $(GLIB_LINK_FLAGS) \
   -version-info $(LT_CURRENT):$(LT_REVISION):$(LT_AGE) \
   -export-dynamic $(no_undefined) $(export_symbols)
 
-libgobject_2_0_la_CFLAGS = $(LIBFFI_CFLAGS)
+libgobject_2_0_la_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(LIBFFI_CFLAGS) $(GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS)
 
 libgobject_2_0_la_LIBADD = $(libglib) $(LIBFFI_LIBS)
 
diff --git a/gthread/Makefile.am b/gthread/Makefile.am
index 325fec44a..2aa507827 100644
--- a/gthread/Makefile.am
+++ b/gthread/Makefile.am
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ gthread_win32_res = gthread-win32-res.o
 gthread_win32_res_ldflag = -Wl,$(gthread_win32_res)
 endif
 
+libgthread_2_0_la_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(GLIB_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY_CFLAGS)
 libgthread_2_0_la_SOURCES = gthread-impl.c
 libgthread_2_0_la_LDFLAGS = $(GLIB_LINK_FLAGS) \
 	$(gthread_win32_res_ldflag) \
diff --git a/tests/libmoduletestplugin_a.c b/tests/libmoduletestplugin_a.c
index 3ce43dad0..69fdd0f70 100644
--- a/tests/libmoduletestplugin_a.c
+++ b/tests/libmoduletestplugin_a.c
@@ -27,11 +27,8 @@
 #undef G_DISABLE_ASSERT
 #undef G_LOG_DOMAIN
 
-#include "config.h"
-
-#include <glib.h>
-#include <gmodule.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
+#include	<gmodule.h>
+#include	<stdlib.h>
 
 void gplugin_a_func (void);
 void gplugin_clash_func (void);
@@ -39,34 +36,33 @@ void g_clash_func (void);
 void gplugin_say_boo_func (void);
 void gplugin_a_module_func (GModule *module);
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN gchar* gplugin_a_state;
-gchar* gplugin_a_state;
+G_MODULE_EXPORT gchar* gplugin_a_state;
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_a_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_a_state = "Hello world";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_clash_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_a_state = "plugin clash";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 g_clash_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_a_state = "global clash";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_say_boo_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_a_state = "BOOH";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_a_module_func (GModule *module)
 {
   void *f = NULL;
diff --git a/tests/libmoduletestplugin_b.c b/tests/libmoduletestplugin_b.c
index 11e3ccfe1..26cc33fc9 100644
--- a/tests/libmoduletestplugin_b.c
+++ b/tests/libmoduletestplugin_b.c
@@ -27,12 +27,9 @@
 #undef G_DISABLE_ASSERT
 #undef G_LOG_DOMAIN
 
-#include "config.h"
+#include        <gmodule.h>
 
-#include <gmodule.h>
-
-_GLIB_EXTERN gchar* gplugin_b_state;
-gchar* gplugin_b_state;
+G_MODULE_EXPORT gchar* gplugin_b_state;
 
 const gchar* g_module_check_init (GModule *module);
 void   g_module_unload (GModule *module);
@@ -42,7 +39,7 @@ void gplugin_clash_func (void);
 void g_clash_func (void);
 void gplugin_say_boo_func (void);
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN const gchar*
+G_MODULE_EXPORT const gchar*
 g_module_check_init (GModule *module)
 {
   gplugin_b_state = "check-init";
@@ -50,31 +47,31 @@ g_module_check_init (GModule *module)
   return NULL;
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 g_module_unload (GModule *module)
 {
   gplugin_b_state = "unloaded";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_b_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_b_state = "Hello world";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_clash_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_b_state = "plugin clash";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 g_clash_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_b_state = "global clash";
 }
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 gplugin_say_boo_func (void)
 {
   gplugin_b_state = "BOOH";
diff --git a/tests/module-test.c b/tests/module-test.c
index 4b195d3f1..dd99b710f 100644
--- a/tests/module-test.c
+++ b/tests/module-test.c
@@ -27,16 +27,14 @@
 #undef G_DISABLE_ASSERT
 #undef G_LOG_DOMAIN
 
-#include "config.h"
-
 #include <gmodule.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 gchar* global_state;
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void g_clash_func (void);
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void g_clash_func (void);
 
-_GLIB_EXTERN void
+G_MODULE_EXPORT void
 g_clash_func (void)
 {
   global_state = "global clash";