diff --git a/src/common/log.h b/src/common/log.h
index 1223ce037..132b65d36 100644
--- a/src/common/log.h
+++ b/src/common/log.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void SetFilterLevel(LOGLEVEL level);
 
 // writes a message to the log
 void Write(const char* channelName, const char* functionName, LOGLEVEL level, const char* message);
-void Writef(const char* channelName, const char* functionName, LOGLEVEL level, const char* format, ...);
+void Writef(const char* channelName, const char* functionName, LOGLEVEL level, const char* format, ...) printflike(4, 5);
 void Writev(const char* channelName, const char* functionName, LOGLEVEL level, const char* format, va_list ap);
 } // namespace Log
 
diff --git a/src/common/types.h b/src/common/types.h
index 839b585e7..9a7645c93 100644
--- a/src/common/types.h
+++ b/src/common/types.h
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ char (&__countof_ArraySizeHelper(T (&array)[N]))[N];
 #define offsetof(st, m) ((size_t)((char*)&((st*)(0))->m - (char*)0))
 #endif
 
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#define printflike(n,m) __attribute__((format(printf,n,m)))
+#else
+#define printflike(n,m)
+#endif
+
 // disable warnings that show up at warning level 4
 // TODO: Move to build system instead
 #ifdef _MSC_VER