diff --git a/inst/include/bigmemory/util.h b/inst/include/bigmemory/util.h
index 86209ab..327e9d0 100644
--- a/inst/include/bigmemory/util.h
+++ b/inst/include/bigmemory/util.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef BIGMEMORY_UTIL_HPP
 #define BIGMEMORY_UTIL_HPP
 
-#include <Rcpp.h>
-
 #include "bigmemoryDefines.h"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -38,9 +36,6 @@ SEXP StringVec2RChar( const vector<string> &strVec,
 }
 */
 
-#undef length
-#include <Rcpp.h>
-
 template<typename T>
 struct NewVec;
 
@@ -79,5 +74,4 @@ template<>
 struct VecPtr<double>
 {double* operator()(SEXP vec) const {return NUMERIC_DATA(vec);};};
 
-#define length(x) Rf_length(x)
 #endif // BIGMEMORY_UTIL_HPP
diff --git a/src/bigmemory.cpp b/src/bigmemory.cpp
index 1f890bf..4ce3738 100644
--- a/src/bigmemory.cpp
+++ b/src/bigmemory.cpp
@@ -4,9 +4,16 @@
 
 #include "bigmemory/BigMatrix.h"
 #include "bigmemory/MatrixAccessor.hpp"
-#include "bigmemory/util.h"
 #include "bigmemory/isna.hpp"
 
+// undefine length which Rcpp maps to Rf_length and uses as member function
+#undef length
+#include <Rcpp.h>
+// but redefine it to Rf_length for subsequent use below and in util.h
+#define length Rf_length
+
+#include "bigmemory/util.h"
+
 /* Notes
  * R does not natively contain float type objects
  * Therefore, every time you pass object to see they will initially be
diff --git a/src/deepcopy.cpp b/src/deepcopy.cpp
index 11e936d..be6fd5b 100644
--- a/src/deepcopy.cpp
+++ b/src/deepcopy.cpp
@@ -7,15 +7,13 @@
 
 #include "bigmemory/BigMatrix.h"
 #include "bigmemory/MatrixAccessor.hpp"
-#include "bigmemory/util.h"
 #include "bigmemory/isna.hpp"
 
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <R.h>
-#include <Rinternals.h>
-#include <Rdefines.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <sys/types.h>
+// undefine length which Rcpp maps to Rf_length and uses as member function
+#undef length
+#include <Rcpp.h>
+// but redefine it to Rf_length for subsequent use below and in util.h
+#define length Rf_length
 
 
 template<typename in_CType, typename in_BMAccessorType,