diff --git a/src/core/execute.c b/src/core/execute.c
index b48b1ae513b..8f09233e3ea 100644
--- a/src/core/execute.c
+++ b/src/core/execute.c
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ fail:
         return r;
 }
 
-_printf_attr_(1, 2) static int write_confirm_message(const char *format, ...) {
+_printf_(1, 2) static int write_confirm_message(const char *format, ...) {
         int fd;
         va_list ap;
 
diff --git a/src/core/manager.h b/src/core/manager.h
index a3049b5e5b6..ffcca48a3d0 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.h
+++ b/src/core/manager.h
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ void manager_undo_generators(Manager *m);
 void manager_recheck_journal(Manager *m);
 
 void manager_set_show_status(Manager *m, bool b);
-void manager_status_printf(Manager *m, bool ephemeral, const char *status, const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(4,5);
+void manager_status_printf(Manager *m, bool ephemeral, const char *status, const char *format, ...) _printf_(4,5);
 
 Set *manager_get_units_requiring_mounts_for(Manager *m, const char *path);
 
diff --git a/src/core/selinux-access.c b/src/core/selinux-access.c
index 0a3ee18bb9b..c7e951cde6e 100644
--- a/src/core/selinux-access.c
+++ b/src/core/selinux-access.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ static int audit_callback(
    user_avc's into the /var/log/audit/audit.log, otherwise they will be
    sent to syslog.
 */
-_printf_attr_(2, 3) static int log_callback(int type, const char *fmt, ...) {
+_printf_(2, 3) static int log_callback(int type, const char *fmt, ...) {
         va_list ap;
 
         va_start(ap, fmt);
diff --git a/src/core/unit.h b/src/core/unit.h
index 6dd750f8c21..6971048a9b0 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.h
+++ b/src/core/unit.h
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ int unit_get_related_unit(Unit *u, const char *type, Unit **_found);
 
 bool unit_can_serialize(Unit *u) _pure_;
 int unit_serialize(Unit *u, FILE *f, FDSet *fds, bool serialize_jobs);
-void unit_serialize_item_format(Unit *u, FILE *f, const char *key, const char *value, ...) _printf_attr_(4,5);
+void unit_serialize_item_format(Unit *u, FILE *f, const char *key, const char *value, ...) _printf_(4,5);
 void unit_serialize_item(Unit *u, FILE *f, const char *key, const char *value);
 int unit_deserialize(Unit *u, FILE *f, FDSet *fds);
 
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ int unit_add_node_link(Unit *u, const char *what, bool wants);
 
 int unit_coldplug(Unit *u);
 
-void unit_status_printf(Unit *u, const char *status, const char *unit_status_msg_format) _printf_attr_(3, 0);
+void unit_status_printf(Unit *u, const char *status, const char *unit_status_msg_format) _printf_(3, 0);
 
 bool unit_need_daemon_reload(Unit *u);
 
@@ -598,10 +598,10 @@ ExecContext *unit_get_exec_context(Unit *u) _pure_;
 CGroupContext *unit_get_cgroup_context(Unit *u) _pure_;
 
 int unit_write_drop_in(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name, const char *data);
-int unit_write_drop_in_format(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name, const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(4,5);
+int unit_write_drop_in_format(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name, const char *format, ...) _printf_(4,5);
 
 int unit_write_drop_in_private(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name, const char *data);
-int unit_write_drop_in_private_format(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name, const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(4,5);
+int unit_write_drop_in_private_format(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name, const char *format, ...) _printf_(4,5);
 
 int unit_remove_drop_in(Unit *u, UnitSetPropertiesMode mode, const char *name);
 
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-send.c b/src/journal/journal-send.c
index d00e26f1eb7..52f9905c4e3 100644
--- a/src/journal/journal-send.c
+++ b/src/journal/journal-send.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ _public_ int sd_journal_printv(int priority, const char *format, va_list ap) {
         return sd_journal_sendv(iov, 2);
 }
 
-_printf_attr_(1, 0) static int fill_iovec_sprintf(const char *format, va_list ap, int extra, struct iovec **_iov) {
+_printf_(1, 0) static int fill_iovec_sprintf(const char *format, va_list ap, int extra, struct iovec **_iov) {
         PROTECT_ERRNO;
         int r, n = 0, i = 0, j;
         struct iovec *iov = NULL;
diff --git a/src/journal/journald-server.h b/src/journal/journald-server.h
index 10e9958be02..069cd173c8d 100644
--- a/src/journal/journald-server.h
+++ b/src/journal/journald-server.h
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ typedef struct Server {
 #define N_IOVEC_OBJECT_FIELDS 11
 
 void server_dispatch_message(Server *s, struct iovec *iovec, unsigned n, unsigned m, struct ucred *ucred, struct timeval *tv, const char *label, size_t label_len, const char *unit_id, int priority, pid_t object_pid);
-void server_driver_message(Server *s, sd_id128_t message_id, const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(3,4);
+void server_driver_message(Server *s, sd_id128_t message_id, const char *format, ...) _printf_(3,4);
 
 /* gperf lookup function */
 const struct ConfigPerfItem* journald_gperf_lookup(const char *key, unsigned length);
diff --git a/src/journal/microhttpd-util.h b/src/journal/microhttpd-util.h
index 20ad76990c1..74d1668bdfc 100644
--- a/src/journal/microhttpd-util.h
+++ b/src/journal/microhttpd-util.h
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@
 
 #include "macro.h"
 
-void microhttpd_logger(void *arg, const char *fmt, va_list ap) _printf_attr_(2, 0);
+void microhttpd_logger(void *arg, const char *fmt, va_list ap) _printf_(2, 0);
diff --git a/src/libudev/libudev-private.h b/src/libudev/libudev-private.h
index 54c51acc230..18bc853a5a7 100644
--- a/src/libudev/libudev-private.h
+++ b/src/libudev/libudev-private.h
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@
 /* libudev.c */
 void udev_log(struct udev *udev,
               int priority, const char *file, int line, const char *fn,
-              const char *format, ...)
-              __attribute__((format(printf, 6, 7)));
+              const char *format, ...) _printf_(6, 7);
 int udev_get_rules_path(struct udev *udev, char **path[], usec_t *ts_usec[]);
 struct udev_list_entry *udev_add_property(struct udev *udev, const char *key, const char *value);
 struct udev_list_entry *udev_get_properties_list_entry(struct udev *udev);
@@ -175,5 +174,6 @@ int util_delete_path(struct udev *udev, const char *path);
 uid_t util_lookup_user(struct udev *udev, const char *user);
 gid_t util_lookup_group(struct udev *udev, const char *group);
 int util_resolve_subsys_kernel(struct udev *udev, const char *string, char *result, size_t maxsize, int read_value);
-ssize_t print_kmsg(const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((format(printf, 1, 2)));
+ssize_t print_kmsg(const char *fmt, ...) _printf_(1, 2);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/shared/conf-parser.h b/src/shared/conf-parser.h
index 08428a514a9..9435d54b11c 100644
--- a/src/shared/conf-parser.h
+++ b/src/shared/conf-parser.h
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ int config_parse_set_status(const char *unit, const char *filename, unsigned lin
 int log_syntax_internal(const char *unit, int level,
                         const char *file, unsigned line, const char *func,
                         const char *config_file, unsigned config_line,
-                        int error, const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(9, 10);
+                        int error, const char *format, ...) _printf_(9, 10);
 
 #define log_syntax(unit, level, config_file, config_line, error, ...)   \
         log_syntax_internal(unit, level,                                \
diff --git a/src/shared/log.h b/src/shared/log.h
index 979f833d571..9ce99ef9fa4 100644
--- a/src/shared/log.h
+++ b/src/shared/log.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ int log_meta(
                 const char*file,
                 int line,
                 const char *func,
-                const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(5,6);
+                const char *format, ...) _printf_(5,6);
 
 int log_metav(
                 int level,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ int log_metav(
                 int line,
                 const char *func,
                 const char *format,
-                va_list ap) _printf_attr_(5,0);
+                va_list ap) _printf_(5,0);
 
 int log_meta_object(
                 int level,
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ int log_meta_object(
                 const char *func,
                 const char *object_name,
                 const char *object,
-                const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(7,8);
+                const char *format, ...) _printf_(7,8);
 
 int log_metav_object(
                 int level,
@@ -102,14 +102,14 @@ int log_metav_object(
                 const char *object_name,
                 const char *object,
                 const char *format,
-                va_list ap) _printf_attr_(7,0);
+                va_list ap) _printf_(7,0);
 
 int log_struct_internal(
                 int level,
                 const char *file,
                 int line,
                 const char *func,
-                const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(5,0) _sentinel_;
+                const char *format, ...) _printf_(5,0) _sentinel_;
 
 int log_oom_internal(
                 const char *file,
diff --git a/src/shared/macro.h b/src/shared/macro.h
index 06e16cd4536..3cf17bb8675 100644
--- a/src/shared/macro.h
+++ b/src/shared/macro.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <sys/uio.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
-#define _printf_attr_(a,b) __attribute__ ((format (printf, a, b)))
+#define _printf_(a,b) __attribute__ ((format (printf, a, b)))
 #define _alloc_(...) __attribute__ ((alloc_size(__VA_ARGS__)))
 #define _sentinel_ __attribute__ ((sentinel))
 #define _noreturn_ __attribute__((noreturn))
diff --git a/src/shared/strxcpyx.h b/src/shared/strxcpyx.h
index 1229a4821df..7be246d570d 100644
--- a/src/shared/strxcpyx.h
+++ b/src/shared/strxcpyx.h
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
+#include "macro.h"
+
 size_t strpcpy(char **dest, size_t size, const char *src);
-size_t strpcpyf(char **dest, size_t size, const char *src, ...) __attribute__((format(printf, 3, 4)));
-size_t strpcpyl(char **dest, size_t size, const char *src, ...) __attribute__((sentinel));
+size_t strpcpyf(char **dest, size_t size, const char *src, ...) _printf_(3, 4);
+size_t strpcpyl(char **dest, size_t size, const char *src, ...) _sentinel_;
 size_t strscpy(char *dest, size_t size, const char *src);
-size_t strscpyl(char *dest, size_t size, const char *src, ...) __attribute__((sentinel));
+size_t strscpyl(char *dest, size_t size, const char *src, ...) _sentinel_;
diff --git a/src/shared/util.h b/src/shared/util.h
index 86b21435b2d..63cb4ac6369 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.h
+++ b/src/shared/util.h
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ bool fstype_is_network(const char *fstype);
 int chvt(int vt);
 
 int read_one_char(FILE *f, char *ret, usec_t timeout, bool *need_nl);
-int ask(char *ret, const char *replies, const char *text, ...) _printf_attr_(3, 4);
+int ask(char *ret, const char *replies, const char *text, ...) _printf_(3, 4);
 
 int reset_terminal_fd(int fd, bool switch_to_text);
 int reset_terminal(const char *name);
@@ -374,8 +374,8 @@ int pipe_eof(int fd);
 
 cpu_set_t* cpu_set_malloc(unsigned *ncpus);
 
-int status_vprintf(const char *status, bool ellipse, bool ephemeral, const char *format, va_list ap) _printf_attr_(4,0);
-int status_printf(const char *status, bool ellipse, bool ephemeral, const char *format, ...) _printf_attr_(4,5);
+int status_vprintf(const char *status, bool ellipse, bool ephemeral, const char *format, va_list ap) _printf_(4,0);
+int status_printf(const char *status, bool ellipse, bool ephemeral, const char *format, ...) _printf_(4,5);
 int status_welcome(void);
 
 int fd_columns(int fd);
diff --git a/src/udev/udev.h b/src/udev/udev.h
index ed8b1834ca9..29e96d637e7 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev.h
+++ b/src/udev/udev.h
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ int udev_builtin_hwdb_lookup(struct udev_device *dev, const char *prefix, const
 /* udev logging */
 void udev_main_log(struct udev *udev, int priority,
                    const char *file, int line, const char *fn,
-                   const char *format, va_list args) _printf_attr_(6, 0);
+                   const char *format, va_list args) _printf_(6, 0);
 
 /* udevadm commands */
 struct udevadm_cmd {