diff --git a/qemu/include/qemu/compiler.h b/qemu/include/qemu/compiler.h
index 926854c7..387bbdd8 100644
--- a/qemu/include/qemu/compiler.h
+++ b/qemu/include/qemu/compiler.h
@@ -72,15 +72,21 @@ static union MSVC_FLOAT_HACK __NAN = {{0x00, 0x00, 0xC0, 0x7F}};
         int:(x) ? -1 : 1; \
     }
 
+/* QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG() emits the message given if _Static_assert is
+ * supported; otherwise, it will be omitted from the compiler error
+ * message (but as it remains present in the source code, it can still
+ * be useful when debugging). */
 #if defined(CONFIG_STATIC_ASSERT)
-#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) _Static_assert(!(x), "not expecting: " #x)
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, msg) _Static_assert(!(x), msg)
 #elif defined(__COUNTER__)
-#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) typedef QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x) \
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, msg) typedef QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x) \
     glue(qemu_build_bug_on__, __COUNTER__) QEMU_UNUSED_VAR
 #else
-#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x)
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, msg)
 #endif
 
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, "not expecting: " #x)
+
 #define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_ZERO(x) (sizeof(QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x)) - \
                                    sizeof(QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x)))
 
@@ -190,15 +196,21 @@ static union MSVC_FLOAT_HACK __NAN = {{0x00, 0x00, 0xC0, 0x7F}};
         int:(x) ? -1 : 1; \
     }
 
+/* QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG() emits the message given if _Static_assert is
+ * supported; otherwise, it will be omitted from the compiler error
+ * message (but as it remains present in the source code, it can still
+ * be useful when debugging). */
 #if defined(CONFIG_STATIC_ASSERT)
-#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) _Static_assert(!(x), "not expecting: " #x)
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, msg) _Static_assert(!(x), msg)
 #elif defined(__COUNTER__)
-#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) typedef QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x) \
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, msg) typedef QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x) \
     glue(qemu_build_bug_on__, __COUNTER__) QEMU_UNUSED_VAR
 #else
-#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x)
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, msg)
 #endif
 
+#define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(x) QEMU_BUILD_BUG_MSG(x, "not expecting: " #x)
+
 #define QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_ZERO(x) (sizeof(QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x)) - \
                                    sizeof(QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON_STRUCT(x)))