diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3672005d75..c52f8e17c2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -524,6 +524,12 @@ if cc.compiles('''
         add_project_arguments('-Werror=shadow', language : 'c')
 endif
 
+have = cc.compiles(
+        '__attribute__((__retain__)) int x;',
+        args : '-Werror=attributes',
+        name : '__attribute__((__retain__))')
+conf.set10('HAVE_ATTRIBUTE_RETAIN', have)
+
 if cxx_cmd != ''
         add_project_arguments(cxx.get_supported_arguments(basic_disabled_warnings), language : 'cpp')
 endif
diff --git a/src/basic/static-destruct.h b/src/basic/static-destruct.h
index 5772d24240..00087ad779 100644
--- a/src/basic/static-destruct.h
+++ b/src/basic/static-destruct.h
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ typedef void (*free_func_t)(void *p);
  * variables declared in .so's, as the list is private to the same linking unit. But maybe that's a good thing. */
 
 #define _common_static_destruct_attrs_                                  \
-        /* Older compilers don't know "retain" attribute. */            \
-        _Pragma("GCC diagnostic ignored \"-Wattributes\"")              \
         /* The actual destructor structure we place in a special section to find it. */ \
         _section_("SYSTEMD_STATIC_DESTRUCT")                            \
         /* Use pointer alignment, since that is apparently what gcc does for static variables. */ \
diff --git a/src/boot/efi-log.h b/src/boot/efi-log.h
index 5458f90109..5dbcb42516 100644
--- a/src/boot/efi-log.h
+++ b/src/boot/efi-log.h
@@ -5,15 +5,12 @@
 #include "efi-string.h"
 #include "proto/simple-text-io.h"       /* IWYU pragma: keep */
 
-#if defined __has_attribute
-#  if __has_attribute(no_stack_protector)
-#    define HAVE_NO_STACK_PROTECTOR_ATTRIBUTE
-#  endif
-#endif
-
-#if defined(HAVE_NO_STACK_PROTECTOR_ATTRIBUTE) && \
-    (defined(__SSP__) || defined(__SSP_ALL__) || \
-    defined(__SSP_STRONG__) || defined(__SSP_EXPLICIT__))
+#if defined(__has_attribute) &&                                        \
+        __has_attribute(no_stack_protector) &&                         \
+        (defined(__SSP__) ||                                           \
+         defined(__SSP_ALL__) ||                                       \
+         defined(__SSP_STRONG__) ||                                    \
+         defined(__SSP_EXPLICIT__))
 #  define STACK_PROTECTOR_RANDOM 1
 __attribute__((no_stack_protector, noinline)) void __stack_chk_guard_init(void);
 #else
diff --git a/src/boot/meson.build b/src/boot/meson.build
index 06c8146a9e..c51510e96f 100644
--- a/src/boot/meson.build
+++ b/src/boot/meson.build
@@ -80,8 +80,11 @@ endif
 efi_conf = configuration_data()
 
 # import several configs from userspace
-foreach name : ['HAVE_WARNING_ZERO_LENGTH_BOUNDS', 'HAVE_WARNING_ZERO_AS_NULL_POINTER_CONSTANT']
-        efi_conf.set10(name, conf.get(name) == 1)
+foreach name : ['HAVE_ATTRIBUTE_RETAIN',
+                'HAVE_WARNING_ZERO_AS_NULL_POINTER_CONSTANT',
+                'HAVE_WARNING_ZERO_LENGTH_BOUNDS',
+               ]
+        efi_conf.set(name, conf.get(name))
 endforeach
 
 efi_conf.set10('ENABLE_TPM', get_option('tpm'))
diff --git a/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h b/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h
index e8757b1fc3..39004183d9 100644
--- a/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h
+++ b/src/fundamental/macro-fundamental.h
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@
 #define _printf_(a, b) __attribute__((__format__(printf, a, b)))
 #define _public_ __attribute__((__visibility__("default")))
 #define _pure_ __attribute__((__pure__))
-#define _retain_ __attribute__((__retain__))
 #define _returns_nonnull_ __attribute__((__returns_nonnull__))
 #define _section_(x) __attribute__((__section__(x)))
 #define _sentinel_ __attribute__((__sentinel__))
@@ -99,6 +98,12 @@
 #define _weak_ __attribute__((__weak__))
 #define _weakref_(x) __attribute__((__weakref__(#x)))
 
+#if HAVE_ATTRIBUTE_RETAIN
+#  define _retain_ __attribute__((__retain__))
+#else
+#  define _retain_
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __clang__
 #  define _alloc_(...)
 #else
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.h
index ac3c90c0d3..5aca67f006 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.h
@@ -31,12 +31,10 @@ const char* _bus_error_message(const sd_bus_error *e, int error, char buf[static
  * the error map is really added to the final binary.
  *
  * In addition, set the retain attribute so that the section cannot be
- * discarded by ld --gc-sections -z start-stop-gc. Older compilers would
- * warn for the unknown attribute, so just disable -Wattributes.
+ * discarded by ld --gc-sections -z start-stop-gc.
  */
 
 #define BUS_ERROR_MAP_ELF_REGISTER                                      \
-        _Pragma("GCC diagnostic ignored \"-Wattributes\"")              \
         _section_("SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP")                              \
         _used_                                                          \
         _retain_                                                        \
diff --git a/src/shared/tests.h b/src/shared/tests.h
index 607d62fe6a..adf1b0f689 100644
--- a/src/shared/tests.h
+++ b/src/shared/tests.h
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ typedef struct TestFunc {
 
 /* See static-destruct.h for an explanation of how this works. */
 #define REGISTER_TEST(func, ...)                                                                        \
-        _Pragma("GCC diagnostic ignored \"-Wattributes\"")                                              \
         _section_("SYSTEMD_TEST_TABLE") _alignptr_ _used_ _retain_ _variable_no_sanitize_address_       \
         static const TestFunc UNIQ_T(static_test_table_entry, UNIQ) = {                                 \
                 .f = (union f) &(func),                                                                 \