diff --git a/src/lxc/memory_utils.h b/src/lxc/memory_utils.h
index 7e4d0541f..f2352a175 100644
--- a/src/lxc/memory_utils.h
+++ b/src/lxc/memory_utils.h
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 			cleaner(*ptr);                   \
 	}
 
-#define call_cleaner(cleaner) __attribute__((__cleanup__(cleaner##_function)))
+#define call_cleaner(cleaner) \
+	__attribute__((__cleanup__(cleaner##_function))) __attribute__((unused))
 
 #define close_prot_errno_disarm(fd) \
 	if (fd >= 0) {              \