diff --git a/maperror.h b/maperror.h
index fe6bf4d34c..0ed965cb00 100644
--- a/maperror.h
+++ b/maperror.h
@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ extern "C" {
 #  define MS_DLL_EXPORT     __declspec(dllexport)
 #else
 #define  MS_DLL_EXPORT
+#endif
+
+#ifndef MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 3 && !defined(DOXYGEN_SKIP)
+#define MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT( format_idx, arg_idx )  __attribute__((__format__ (__printf__, format_idx, arg_idx)))
+#else
+#define MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT( format_idx, arg_idx )
+#endif
 #endif
 
   typedef struct errorObj {
@@ -114,7 +122,7 @@ extern "C" {
   MS_DLL_EXPORT char *msGetErrorString(char *delimiter);
 
 #ifndef SWIG
-  MS_DLL_EXPORT void msSetError(int code, const char *message, const char *routine, ...);
+  MS_DLL_EXPORT void msSetError(int code, const char *message, const char *routine, ...) MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT(2,4) ;
   MS_DLL_EXPORT void msWriteError(FILE *stream);
   MS_DLL_EXPORT void msWriteErrorXML(FILE *stream);
   MS_DLL_EXPORT char *msGetErrorCodeString(int code);
@@ -157,7 +165,7 @@ extern "C" {
   } debugInfoObj;
 
 
-  MS_DLL_EXPORT void msDebug( const char * pszFormat, ... );
+  MS_DLL_EXPORT void msDebug( const char * pszFormat, ... ) MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT(1,2) ;
   MS_DLL_EXPORT int msSetErrorFile(const char *pszErrorFile, const char *pszRelToPath);
   MS_DLL_EXPORT void msCloseErrorFile( void );
   MS_DLL_EXPORT const char *msGetErrorFile( void );
diff --git a/mapio.h b/mapio.h
index 0a559ee08c..b5faef2a44 100644
--- a/mapio.h
+++ b/mapio.h
@@ -40,11 +40,19 @@
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+#ifndef MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 3 && !defined(DOXYGEN_SKIP)
+#define MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT( format_idx, arg_idx )  __attribute__((__format__ (__printf__, format_idx, arg_idx)))
+#else
+#define MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT( format_idx, arg_idx )
+#endif
 #endif
 
   /* stdio analogs */
-  int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_printf( const char *format, ... );
-  int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_fprintf( FILE *stream, const char *format, ... );
+  int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_printf( const char *format, ... ) MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT(1,2);
+  int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_fprintf( FILE *stream, const char *format, ... ) MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT(2,3);
   int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_fwrite( const void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, FILE *stream );
   int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_fread( void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, FILE *stream );
   int MS_DLL_EXPORT msIO_vfprintf( FILE *fp, const char *format, va_list ap );
@@ -71,7 +79,7 @@ extern "C" {
                                           msIOContext *stdout_context,
                                           msIOContext *stderr_context );
   msIOContext MS_DLL_EXPORT *msIO_getHandler( FILE * );
-  void msIO_setHeader (const char *header, const char* value, ...);
+  void msIO_setHeader (const char *header, const char* value, ...) MS_PRINT_FUNC_FORMAT(2,3);
   void msIO_sendHeaders(void);
 
   /*