diff --git a/examples/object-events/event-test.c b/examples/object-events/event-test.c
index 8499e0b38e..6694d3dffc 100644
--- a/examples/object-events/event-test.c
+++ b/examples/object-events/event-test.c
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
-#include <verify.h>
-
 #define VIR_ENUM_SENTINELS
 
 #include <libvirt/libvirt.h>
@@ -17,6 +15,14 @@
 #define STREQ(a, b) (strcmp(a, b) == 0)
 #define NULLSTR(s) ((s) ? (s) : "<null>")
 
+#if (4 < __GNUC__ + (6 <= __GNUC_MINOR__) \
+     && (201112L <= __STDC_VERSION__  || !defined __STRICT_ANSI__) \
+     && !defined __cplusplus)
+# define verify(cond) _Static_assert(cond, "verify (" #cond ")")
+#else
+# define verify(cond)
+#endif
+
 #ifndef ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED
 # define ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED __attribute__((__unused__))
 #endif