Index: dataobj/translator.h
===================================================================
--- dataobj/translator.h	(revision 8025)
+++ dataobj/translator.h	(working copy)
@@ -113,8 +113,13 @@
 	 * @return translated string, (null) if string is null,
 	 * or the string if the translation is not found
 	 */
-	static const char *translate(const char* str);
 	static const char *translate(const char* str, int lang);
+	static const char *translate(const char* str)
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+	;
+#else
+	__attribute__ ((format_arg (1)));  // allow type check of parameters against translated format string
+#endif
 
 	/**
 	 * @return replacement info for almost any object within the game
Index: utils/cbuffer_t.h
===================================================================
--- utils/cbuffer_t.h	(revision 8025)
+++ utils/cbuffer_t.h	(working copy)
@@ -92,7 +92,12 @@
 	void append(double n, int precision);
 
 	/* Append formatted text to the buffer */
-	void printf(const char *fmt, ...);
+	void printf(const char *fmt, ...)
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+	;
+#else
+	__attribute__ ((format (printf, 2, 3)));  // enable type check of parameters against format string
+#endif
 
 	void vprintf(const char *fmt,  va_list args );