diff --git a/m4/virt-compile-warnings.m4 b/m4/virt-compile-warnings.m4
index 9dee000f6b..26f6134590 100644
--- a/m4/virt-compile-warnings.m4
+++ b/m4/virt-compile-warnings.m4
@@ -58,6 +58,24 @@ AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_COMPILE_WARNINGS],[
     # Gnulib's stat-time.h violates this
     dontwarn="$dontwarn -Waggregate-return"
 
+    # Gnulib uses '#pragma GCC diagnostic push' to silence some
+    # warnings, but older gcc doesn't support this.
+    AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether pragma GCC diagnostic push works],
+      [lv_cv_gcc_pragma_push_works], [
+      save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
+      CFLAGS='-Wunknown-pragmas -Werror'
+      AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+        #pragma GCC diagnostic push
+        #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+      ]])],
+      [lv_cv_gcc_pragma_push_works=yes],
+      [lv_cv_gcc_pragma_push_works=no])
+      CFLAGS=$save_CFLAGS])
+    if test $lv_cv_gcc_pragma_push_works = no; then
+      dontwarn="$dontwarn -Wmissing-prototypes"
+      dontwarn="$dontwarn -Wmissing-declarations"
+    fi
+
     # We might fundamentally need some of these disabled forever, but
     # ideally we'd turn many of them on
     dontwarn="$dontwarn -Wfloat-equal"