diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ff2c81f2c7..7c020c076b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -4852,6 +4852,20 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
+##########################################
+# check for _Static_assert()
+
+have_static_assert=no
+cat > $TMPC << EOF
+_Static_assert(1, "success");
+int main(void) {
+    return 0;
+}
+EOF
+if compile_prog "" "" ; then
+    have_static_assert=yes
+fi
+
 ##########################################
 # End of CC checks
 # After here, no more $cc or $ld runs
@@ -5848,6 +5862,10 @@ if test "$have_sysmacros" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_SYSMACROS=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
+if test "$have_static_assert" = "yes" ; then
+  echo "CONFIG_STATIC_ASSERT=y" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
+
 # Hold two types of flag:
 #   CONFIG_THREAD_SETNAME_BYTHREAD  - we've got a way of setting the name on
 #                                     a thread we have a handle to
diff --git a/include/qemu/compiler.h b/include/qemu/compiler.h
index 18e610083a..340e5fdc09 100644
--- a/include/qemu/compiler.h
+++ b/include/qemu/compiler.h
@@ -82,7 +82,9 @@
         int:(x) ? -1 : 1; \
     }
 
-#ifdef __COUNTER__
+#if defined(CONFIG_STATIC_ASSERT)
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) _Static_assert(!(x), "not expecting: " #x)
+#elif defined(__COUNTER__)
 #define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) typedef QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x) \
     glue(qemu_build_bug_on__, __COUNTER__) __attribute__((unused))
 #else