diff --git a/area_unix.go b/area_unix.go
index 11d3b04..c55f425 100644
--- a/area_unix.go
+++ b/area_unix.go
@@ -10,12 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // #cgo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
-// /* GTK+ 3.8 deprecates gtk_scrolled_window_add_with_viewport(); we need 3.4 miniimum though
-// setting MIN_REQUIRED ensures nothing older; setting MAX_ALLOWED disallows newer functions - thanks to desrt in irc.gimp.net/#gtk+
-// TODO add this to the other files too */
-// #define GDK_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED GDK_VERSION_3_4
-// #define GDK_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED GDK_VERSION_3_4
-// #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+// #include "gtk_unix.h"
 // extern gboolean our_area_draw_callback(GtkWidget *, cairo_t *, gpointer);
 // extern gboolean our_area_button_press_event_callback(GtkWidget *, GdkEvent *, gpointer);
 // extern gboolean our_area_button_release_event_callback(GtkWidget *, GdkEvent *, gpointer);
diff --git a/callbacks_unix.go b/callbacks_unix.go
index c130d27..85eec5a 100644
--- a/callbacks_unix.go
+++ b/callbacks_unix.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ while we're at it the callback for our idle function will be handled here too
 */
 
 // #cgo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
-// #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+// #include "gtk_unix.h"
 // #include <stdlib.h>
 // extern gboolean our_window_delete_event_callback(GtkWidget *, GdkEvent *, gpointer);
 // extern gboolean our_window_configure_event_callback(GtkWidget *, GdkEvent *, gpointer);
diff --git a/dialog_unix.go b/dialog_unix.go
index 8564efd..510d9c5 100644
--- a/dialog_unix.go
+++ b/dialog_unix.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 // #cgo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
 // #include <stdlib.h>
-// #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+// #include "gtk_unix.h"
 // /* because cgo seems to choke on ... */
 // /* TODO does NULL parent make the box application-global? docs are unclear */
 // GtkWidget *gtkNewMsgBox(GtkMessageType type, GtkButtonsType buttons, char *title, char *text) { GtkWidget *k = gtk_message_dialog_new(NULL, GTK_DIALOG_MODAL, type, buttons, "%s", (gchar *) title); gtk_message_dialog_format_secondary_text((GtkMessageDialog *) k, "%s", (gchar *) text); return k; }
diff --git a/gtk_unix.h b/gtk_unix.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..240ea61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gtk_unix.h
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/* 16 march 2014 */
+
+/* This header file is a convenience to ensure that the compatibility flags below are included in all Go files that include <gtk/gtk.h> */
+
+/*
+MIN_REQUIRED signals that programs are expected to run on at least GTK+ 3 .4 and thus deprectation warnings for newer versions (such as gtk_scrolled_window_add_with_viewport() being deprecated in GTK+ 3.8) should be suppressed.
+MAX_ALLOWED signals that programs will not use features introduced in newer versions of GTK+ and that the compiler should warn us if we slip.
+Thanks to desrt in irc.gimp.net/#gtk+
+*/
+#define GDK_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED GDK_VERSION_3_4
+#define GDK_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED GDK_VERSION_3_4
+
+/* TODO are there equivalent compatibility macros for the other components of GTK+? */
+
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
+/* TODO include <stdlib.h> too */
diff --git a/gtkcalls_unix.go b/gtkcalls_unix.go
index 39effe1..c7b409a 100644
--- a/gtkcalls_unix.go
+++ b/gtkcalls_unix.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 // #cgo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
 // #include <stdlib.h>
-// #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+// #include "gtk_unix.h"
 import "C"
 
 type (
diff --git a/gtkcasts_unix.go b/gtkcasts_unix.go
index b459c46..b4fe95b 100644
--- a/gtkcasts_unix.go
+++ b/gtkcasts_unix.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 // Listbox casts are stored in listbox_unix.go
 
 // #cgo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
-// #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+// #include "gtk_unix.h"
 import "C"
 
 func fromgbool(b C.gboolean) bool {
diff --git a/listbox_unix.go b/listbox_unix.go
index 96db13c..fd9995e 100644
--- a/listbox_unix.go
+++ b/listbox_unix.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ and the GTK+ reference documentation.
 
 // #cgo pkg-config: gtk+-3.0
 // #include <stdlib.h>
-// #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+// #include "gtk_unix.h"
 // /* because cgo seems to choke on ... */
 // void gtkTreeModelGet(GtkTreeModel *model, GtkTreeIter *iter, gchar **gs)
 // {