diff --git a/include/qemu/compiler.h b/include/qemu/compiler.h
index 261842beae..2d8f507c73 100644
--- a/include/qemu/compiler.h
+++ b/include/qemu/compiler.h
@@ -151,6 +151,21 @@
 # define QEMU_ERROR(X)
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * The nonstring variable attribute specifies that an object or member
+ * declaration with type array of char or pointer to char is intended
+ * to store character arrays that do not necessarily contain a terminating
+ * NUL character. This is useful in detecting uses of such arrays or pointers
+ * with functions that expect NUL-terminated strings, and to avoid warnings
+ * when such an array or pointer is used as an argument to a bounded string
+ * manipulation function such as strncpy.
+ */
+#if __has_attribute(nonstring)
+# define QEMU_NONSTRING __attribute__((nonstring))
+#else
+# define QEMU_NONSTRING
+#endif
+
 /* Implement C11 _Generic via GCC builtins.  Example:
  *
  *    QEMU_GENERIC(x, (float, sinf), (long double, sinl), sin) (x)