diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e733267..e5a6ba0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -125,25 +125,39 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(HAS_GLES1, test x$has_gles1 = xyes)
 AC_CHECK_LIB([dl], [dlopen], [DLOPEN_LIBS="-ldl"])
 AC_SUBST([DLOPEN_LIBS])
 
-case $host_os in
-    mingw*)
-        # visibility flags aren't supported for windows DLLs, and the
-        # compiler whines to tell you so, so don't set them up.
-        ;;
-    *)
-        if test "x$GCC" = xyes; then
-            save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
-            AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether $CC supports -fvisibility=hidden])
-            VISIBILITY_CFLAGS="-fvisibility=hidden"
-            CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $VISIBILITY_CFLAGS"
-            AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM()], AC_MSG_RESULT([yes]),
-                           [VISIBILITY_CFLAGS=""; AC_MSG_RESULT([no])]);
-
-            # Restore CFLAGS; VISIBILITY_CFLAGS are added to it where needed.
-            CFLAGS=$save_CFLAGS
-        fi
-        ;;
-esac
+VISIBILITY_CFLAGS=""
+AS_CASE(["$host"],
+
+  [*-*-mingw*], [
+    dnl on mingw32 we do -fvisibility=hidden and __declspec(dllexport)
+    AC_DEFINE([EPOXY_PUBLIC],
+              [__attribute__((visibility("default"))) __declspec(dllexport) extern],
+              [defines how to decorate public symbols while building])
+    VISIBILITY_CFLAGS="-fvisibility=hidden"
+  ],
+
+  [
+    dnl on other compilers, check if we can do -fvisibility=hidden
+    SAVED_CFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"
+    CFLAGS="-fvisibility=hidden"
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for -fvisibility=hidden compiler flag])
+    AC_TRY_COMPILE([], [int main (void) { return 0; }], [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+      enable_fvisibility_hidden=yes
+    ], [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+      enable_fvisibility_hidden=no
+    ])
+    CFLAGS="${SAVED_CFLAGS}"
+
+    AS_IF([test "${enable_fvisibility_hidden}" = "yes"], [
+      AC_DEFINE([EPOXY_PUBLIC],
+                [__attribute__((visibility("default"))) extern],
+                [defines how to decorate public symbols while building])
+      VISIBILITY_CFLAGS="-fvisibility=hidden"
+    ])
+  ]
+)
 
 AC_SUBST([VISIBILITY_CFLAGS])
 
diff --git a/include/epoxy/Makefile.am b/include/epoxy/Makefile.am
index b5b94a6..494c96e 100644
--- a/include/epoxy/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/epoxy/Makefile.am
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 epoxyincludedir = $(includedir)/epoxy
 
 epoxyinclude_HEADERS = \
+	common.h \
 	gl.h \
         $(EGL_INCLUDES) \
         $(GLX_INCLUDES) \
diff --git a/include/epoxy/common.h b/include/epoxy/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a745f16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/epoxy/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2017  Emmanuele Bassi 
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+ * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+ * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+ * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+ * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the next
+ * paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the
+ * Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
+ * IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+/** @file common.h
+ *
+ * A common header file, used to define macros and shared symbols.
+ */
+
+#ifndef EPOXY_COMMON_H
+#define EPOXY_COMMON_H
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+# define EPOXY_BEGIN_DECLS      extern "C" {
+# define EPOXY_END_DECLS        }
+#else
+# define EPOXY_BEGIN_DECLS
+# define EPOXY_END_DECLS
+#endif
+
+#ifndef EPOXY_PUBLIC
+# define EPOXY_PUBLIC extern
+#endif
+
+#endif /* EPOXY_COMMON_H */
diff --git a/include/epoxy/egl.h b/include/epoxy/egl.h
index f1c3f56..79e9bb4 100644
--- a/include/epoxy/egl.h
+++ b/include/epoxy/egl.h
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@
 #ifndef EPOXY_EGL_H
 #define EPOXY_EGL_H
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
-
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
+#include "epoxy/common.h"
+
 #if defined(__egl_h_) || defined(__eglext_h_)
 #error epoxy/egl.h must be included before (or in place of) GL/egl.h
 #else
@@ -45,11 +43,11 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "epoxy/egl_generated.h"
 
-bool epoxy_has_egl_extension(EGLDisplay dpy, const char *extension);
-int epoxy_egl_version(EGLDisplay dpy);
+EPOXY_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-} /* extern "C" */
-#endif
+EPOXY_PUBLIC bool epoxy_has_egl_extension(EGLDisplay dpy, const char *extension);
+EPOXY_PUBLIC int epoxy_egl_version(EGLDisplay dpy);
+
+EPOXY_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* EPOXY_EGL_H */
diff --git a/include/epoxy/gl.h b/include/epoxy/gl.h
index 0be3a66..425431c 100644
--- a/include/epoxy/gl.h
+++ b/include/epoxy/gl.h
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@
 #ifndef EPOXY_GL_H
 #define EPOXY_GL_H
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
-
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
+#include "epoxy/common.h"
+
 #if defined(__gl_h_) || defined(__glext_h_)
 #error epoxy/gl.h must be included before (or in place of) GL/gl.h
 #else
@@ -51,7 +49,6 @@ extern "C" {
 /* APIENTRY and GLAPIENTRY are not used on Linux or Mac. */
 #define APIENTRY
 #define GLAPIENTRY
-#define EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT
 #define EPOXY_CALLSPEC
 #define GLAPI
 #define KHRONOS_APIENTRY
@@ -70,10 +67,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #define EPOXY_CALLSPEC __stdcall
 #endif
 
-#ifndef EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT
-#define EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT __declspec(dllimport)
-#endif
-
 #ifndef GLAPI
 #define GLAPI extern
 #endif
@@ -93,12 +86,12 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "epoxy/gl_generated.h"
 
-EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT bool epoxy_has_gl_extension(const char *extension);
-EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT bool epoxy_is_desktop_gl(void);
-EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT int epoxy_gl_version(void);
+EPOXY_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-} /* extern "C" */
-#endif
+EPOXY_PUBLIC bool epoxy_has_gl_extension(const char *extension);
+EPOXY_PUBLIC bool epoxy_is_desktop_gl(void);
+EPOXY_PUBLIC int epoxy_gl_version(void);
+
+EPOXY_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* EPOXY_GL_H */
diff --git a/include/epoxy/glx.h b/include/epoxy/glx.h
index 8df33b8..a67cb07 100644
--- a/include/epoxy/glx.h
+++ b/include/epoxy/glx.h
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@
 #ifndef EPOXY_GLX_H
 #define EPOXY_GLX_H
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
-
 #include <epoxy/gl.h>
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>
@@ -49,11 +45,11 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "epoxy/glx_generated.h"
 
-bool epoxy_has_glx_extension(Display *dpy, int screen, const char *extension);
-int epoxy_glx_version(Display *dpy, int screen);
+EPOXY_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-} /* extern "C" */
-#endif
+EPOXY_PUBLIC bool epoxy_has_glx_extension(Display *dpy, int screen, const char *extension);
+EPOXY_PUBLIC int epoxy_glx_version(Display *dpy, int screen);
+
+EPOXY_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* EPOXY_GLX_H */
diff --git a/include/epoxy/meson.build b/include/epoxy/meson.build
index 545e991..809b92c 100644
--- a/include/epoxy/meson.build
+++ b/include/epoxy/meson.build
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+headers = [ 'common.h' ]
+
 gl_generated = custom_target('gl_generated.h',
                              input: gl_registry,
                              output: [
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ gl_generated = custom_target('gl_generated.h',
                              install_dir: join_paths(epoxy_includedir, 'epoxy'))
 
 gen_headers = [ gl_generated ]
-headers = [ 'gl.h', ]
+headers += [ 'gl.h', ]
 
 if build_egl
   egl_generated = custom_target('egl_generated.h',
diff --git a/include/epoxy/wgl.h b/include/epoxy/wgl.h
index fdd7b4f..84d26ac 100644
--- a/include/epoxy/wgl.h
+++ b/include/epoxy/wgl.h
@@ -30,13 +30,11 @@
 #ifndef EPOXY_WGL_H
 #define EPOXY_WGL_H
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
-
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <windows.h>
 
+#include "epoxy/common.h"
+
 #undef wglUseFontBitmaps
 #undef wglUseFontOutlines
 
@@ -54,11 +52,11 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "epoxy/wgl_generated.h"
 
-EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT bool epoxy_has_wgl_extension(HDC hdc, const char *extension);
-EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT void epoxy_handle_external_wglMakeCurrent(void);
+EPOXY_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-} /* extern "C" */
-#endif
+EPOXY_PUBLIC bool epoxy_has_wgl_extension(HDC hdc, const char *extension);
+EPOXY_PUBLIC void epoxy_handle_external_wglMakeCurrent(void);
+
+EPOXY_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* EPOXY_WGL_H */
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f9ea607..c75622c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -91,6 +91,23 @@ foreach cflag: test_cflags
   endif
 endforeach
 
+# Visibility compiler flags
+visibility_cflags = []
+if get_option('default_library') != 'static'
+  if host_system == 'windows'
+    conf.set('DLL_EXPORT', true)
+    if cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
+      conf.set('EPOXY_PUBLIC', '__declspec(dllexport) extern')
+    else
+      conf.set('EPOXY_PUBLIC', '__attribute__((visibility("default"))) __declspec(dllexport) extern')
+      visibility_cflags += [ '-fvisibility=hidden' ]
+    endif
+  else
+    conf.set('EPOXY_PUBLIC', '__attribute__((visibility("default")))')
+    visibility_cflags += [ '-fvisibility=hidden' ]
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Dependencies
 dl_dep = cc.find_library('dl', required: false)
 gl_dep = dependency('gl', required: false)
diff --git a/src/dispatch_common.c b/src/dispatch_common.c
index ab1fb92..374f6d5 100644
--- a/src/dispatch_common.c
+++ b/src/dispatch_common.c
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ do_dlsym(void **handle, const char *lib_name, const char *name,
     return result;
 }
 
-PUBLIC bool
+bool
 epoxy_is_desktop_gl(void)
 {
     const char *es_prefix = "OpenGL ES";
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ epoxy_internal_gl_version(int error_version)
     return 10 * major + minor;
 }
 
-PUBLIC int
+int
 epoxy_gl_version(void)
 {
     return epoxy_internal_gl_version(0);
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ epoxy_current_context_is_glx(void)
  * \sa epoxy_has_egl_extension()
  * \sa epoxy_has_glx_extension()
  */
-PUBLIC bool
+bool
 epoxy_has_gl_extension(const char *ext)
 {
     return epoxy_internal_has_gl_extension(ext, false);
@@ -698,5 +698,5 @@ WRAPPER(epoxy_glEnd)(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-PUBLIC PFNGLBEGINPROC epoxy_glBegin = epoxy_glBegin_wrapped;
-PUBLIC PFNGLENDPROC epoxy_glEnd = epoxy_glEnd_wrapped;
+PFNGLBEGINPROC epoxy_glBegin = epoxy_glBegin_wrapped;
+PFNGLENDPROC epoxy_glEnd = epoxy_glEnd_wrapped;
diff --git a/src/dispatch_common.h b/src/dispatch_common.h
index 52743a6..40d4bbc 100644
--- a/src/dispatch_common.h
+++ b/src/dispatch_common.h
@@ -21,28 +21,26 @@
  * IN THE SOFTWARE.
  */
 
+#include "config.h"
+
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_EGL 0
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_GLX 0
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_WGL 1
-#define EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
 #elif defined(__APPLE__)
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_EGL 0
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_GLX 0
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_WGL 0
-#define EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT
 #elif defined(ANDROID)
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_EGL 1
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_GLX 0
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_WGL 0
-#define EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT
 #else
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_EGL 1
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_GLX 1
 #define PLATFORM_HAS_WGL 0
-#define EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT
 #endif
 
 #include "epoxy/gl.h"
@@ -56,16 +54,6 @@
 #include "epoxy/wgl.h"
 #endif
 
-#ifndef PUBLIC
-#  ifdef _WIN32
-#    define PUBLIC __declspec(dllexport)
-#  elif (defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 4) || (defined(__SUNPRO_C) && (__SUNPRO_C >= 0x590))
-#    define PUBLIC __attribute__((visibility("default")))
-#  else
-#    define PUBLIC
-#  endif
-#endif
-
 #if defined(__GNUC__)
 #define PACKED __attribute__((__packed__))
 #define ENDPACKED
diff --git a/src/dispatch_egl.c b/src/dispatch_egl.c
index b42aacd..d1dc53c 100644
--- a/src/dispatch_egl.c
+++ b/src/dispatch_egl.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ epoxy_conservative_egl_version(void)
     return epoxy_egl_version(dpy);
 }
 
-PUBLIC int
+int
 epoxy_egl_version(EGLDisplay dpy)
 {
     int major, minor;
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ epoxy_conservative_has_egl_extension(const char *ext)
     return epoxy_has_egl_extension(eglGetCurrentDisplay(), ext);
 }
 
-PUBLIC bool
+bool
 epoxy_has_egl_extension(EGLDisplay dpy, const char *ext)
 {
     return epoxy_extension_in_string(eglQueryString(dpy, EGL_EXTENSIONS), ext) || epoxy_extension_in_string(eglQueryString(NULL, EGL_EXTENSIONS), ext);
diff --git a/src/dispatch_glx.c b/src/dispatch_glx.c
index 9e4cef6..9396f1c 100644
--- a/src/dispatch_glx.c
+++ b/src/dispatch_glx.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ epoxy_conservative_glx_version(void)
     return epoxy_glx_version(dpy, screen);
 }
 
-PUBLIC int
+int
 epoxy_glx_version(Display *dpy, int screen)
 {
     int server_major, server_minor;
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ epoxy_conservative_has_glx_extension(const char *ext)
     return epoxy_has_glx_extension(dpy, screen, ext);
 }
 
-PUBLIC bool
+bool
 epoxy_has_glx_extension(Display *dpy, int screen, const char *ext)
  {
     /* No, you can't just use glXGetClientString or
diff --git a/src/dispatch_wgl.c b/src/dispatch_wgl.c
index bfe9bb1..fe5379d 100644
--- a/src/dispatch_wgl.c
+++ b/src/dispatch_wgl.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ epoxy_conservative_has_wgl_extension(const char *ext)
     return epoxy_has_wgl_extension(hdc, ext);
 }
 
-PUBLIC bool
+bool
 epoxy_has_wgl_extension(HDC hdc, const char *ext)
  {
      PFNWGLGETEXTENSIONSSTRINGARBPROC getext;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ epoxy_has_wgl_extension(HDC hdc, const char *ext)
  * table per context and reuse it when the context is made current
  * again.
  */
-PUBLIC void
+void
 epoxy_handle_external_wglMakeCurrent(void)
 {
     if (!first_context_current) {
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ WRAPPER(epoxy_wglMakeAssociatedContextCurrentAMD)(HGLRC hglrc)
     return ret;
 }
 
-PUBLIC PFNWGLMAKECURRENTPROC epoxy_wglMakeCurrent = epoxy_wglMakeCurrent_wrapped;
-PUBLIC PFNWGLMAKECONTEXTCURRENTEXTPROC epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentEXT = epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentEXT_wrapped;
-PUBLIC PFNWGLMAKECONTEXTCURRENTARBPROC epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentARB = epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentARB_wrapped;
-PUBLIC PFNWGLMAKEASSOCIATEDCONTEXTCURRENTAMDPROC epoxy_wglMakeAssociatedContextCurrentEXT = epoxy_wglMakeAssociatedContextCurrentAMD_wrapped;
+PFNWGLMAKECURRENTPROC epoxy_wglMakeCurrent = epoxy_wglMakeCurrent_wrapped;
+PFNWGLMAKECONTEXTCURRENTEXTPROC epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentEXT = epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentEXT_wrapped;
+PFNWGLMAKECONTEXTCURRENTARBPROC epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentARB = epoxy_wglMakeContextCurrentARB_wrapped;
+PFNWGLMAKEASSOCIATEDCONTEXTCURRENTAMDPROC epoxy_wglMakeAssociatedContextCurrentEXT = epoxy_wglMakeAssociatedContextCurrentAMD_wrapped;
diff --git a/src/gen_dispatch.py b/src/gen_dispatch.py
index 013a4bd..548c2bb 100755
--- a/src/gen_dispatch.py
+++ b/src/gen_dispatch.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class GLFunction(object):
             self.public = ''
         else:
             self.wrapped_name = name
-            self.public = 'PUBLIC '
+            self.public = 'EPOXY_PUBLIC '
 
         # This is the string of C code for passing through the
         # arguments to the function.
@@ -485,6 +485,8 @@ class Generator(object):
     def write_header(self, file):
         self.write_header_header(file)
 
+        self.outln('#include "epoxy/common.h"')
+
         if self.target != "gl":
             self.outln('#include "epoxy/gl.h"')
             if self.target == "egl":
@@ -529,9 +531,9 @@ class Generator(object):
         self.write_function_ptr_typedefs()
 
         for func in self.sorted_functions:
-            self.outln('extern EPOXY_IMPORTEXPORT {0} (EPOXY_CALLSPEC *epoxy_{1})({2});'.format(func.ret_type,
-                                                                                     func.name,
-                                                                                     func.args_decl))
+            self.outln('EPOXY_PUBLIC {0} (EPOXY_CALLSPEC *epoxy_{1})({2});'.format(func.ret_type,
+                                                                                   func.name,
+                                                                                   func.args_decl))
             self.outln('')
 
         for func in self.sorted_functions:
@@ -621,9 +623,7 @@ class Generator(object):
                                                                        func.args_list))
 
     def write_function_pointer(self, func):
-        self.outln('{0}{1} epoxy_{2} = epoxy_{2}_global_rewrite_ptr;'.format(func.public,
-                                                                             func.ptr_type,
-                                                                             func.wrapped_name))
+        self.outln('{0} epoxy_{1} = epoxy_{1}_global_rewrite_ptr;'.format(func.ptr_type, func.wrapped_name))
         self.outln('')
 
     def write_provider_enums(self):
@@ -753,6 +753,8 @@ class Generator(object):
         self.write_copyright_comment_body()
         self.outln(' */')
         self.outln('')
+        self.outln('#include "config.h"')
+        self.outln('')
         self.outln('#include <stdlib.h>')
         self.outln('#include <string.h>')
         self.outln('#include <stdio.h>')
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index f6df778..fced355 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ if libtype != 'shared'
                                    install: true,
                                    dependencies: epoxy_deps,
                                    include_directories: libepoxy_inc,
-                                   c_args: common_cflags,
+                                   c_args: common_cflags + visibility_cflags,
                                    link_args: common_ldflags)
   libepoxy = libepoxy_static
 endif