diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..395d1d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ *
+ * Copyright © 2016 Franklin "Snaipe" Mathieu <http://snai.pe/>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+#ifndef COMMON_H_
+# define COMMON_H_
+
+# if __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L
+#  include <stdnoreturn.h>
+# elif defined __GNUC__
+#  define noreturn __attribute__((noreturn))
+# elif defined _MSC_VER
+#  define noreturn __declspec(noreturn)
+# else
+#  define noreturn
+# endif
+
+#endif /* !COMMON_H_ */
diff --git a/src/vitals.c b/src/vitals.c
index f4ae926..9274183 100644
--- a/src/vitals.c
+++ b/src/vitals.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ void mmk_fprintf(FILE *f, const char *str, ...)
     va_end(vl);
 }
 
-void mmk_panic(const char *str, ...)
+noreturn void mmk_panic(const char *str, ...)
 {
     va_list vl;
     va_start(vl, str);
diff --git a/src/vitals.h b/src/vitals.h
index f7db9c6..5eef3f6 100644
--- a/src/vitals.h
+++ b/src/vitals.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 # include <stddef.h>
 # include "mimick/unmocked.h"
+# include "common.h"
 # include "plt.h"
 
 /* string functions that are notoriously replaced by sse2 variants are
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ char *mmk_strncpy(char *dst, const char *src, size_t n);
 size_t mmk_strlen(const char *s);
 int mmk_isspace(int c);
 
-void mmk_panic(const char *, ...);
+noreturn void mmk_panic(const char *, ...);
 
 void mmk_init_vital_functions(plt_ctx ctx);