diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 69746214..019003f8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ else
 	CONFIG_SCRIPTING_SPIDERMONKEY=no
 fi
 
-CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -fpermissive -Wno-sign-compare -std=gnu++17"
+CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -fpermissive -Wno-sign-compare"
 
 if test "x$CONFIG_ECMASCRIPT_SMJS" = xyes ||
    test "x$CONFIG_SCRIPTING_SPIDERMONKEY" = xyes; then
diff --git a/src/terminal/screen.c b/src/terminal/screen.c
index 06e8f2f3..bc9ca45a 100644
--- a/src/terminal/screen.c
+++ b/src/terminal/screen.c
@@ -446,7 +446,9 @@ static INIT_LIST_OF(struct screen_driver, active_screen_drivers);
 void
 set_screen_dirty(struct terminal_screen *screen, int from, int to)
 {
-	for (unsigned int i = from; i <= to; i++) {
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	for (i = from; i <= to; i++) {
 		set_bitfield_bit(screen->dirty, i);
 	}
 	screen->was_dirty = 1;
diff --git a/src/util/string.c b/src/util/string.c
index 77d3db21..3d2c308b 100644
--- a/src/util/string.c
+++ b/src/util/string.c
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ string_replace(struct string *res, struct string *inp, struct string *what, stru
 	char *found;
 	char *ins;
 	char *tmp_cnt;
+	int i;
 
 	if (!init_string(&tmp)) {
 		return;
@@ -579,7 +580,7 @@ string_replace(struct string *res, struct string *inp, struct string *what, stru
 		ins = tmp_cnt + what->length;
 	}
 
-	for (int i=0;i<count;i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
 		// find occurence of string
 		found=strstr(head,what->source);
 		// count chars before and after occurence
diff --git a/src/util/string.h b/src/util/string.h
index e083aa20..4504b6f4 100644
--- a/src/util/string.h
+++ b/src/util/string.h
@@ -187,10 +187,10 @@ struct string {
  * @relates string */
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 #ifdef DEBUG_MEMLEAK
-[[nodiscard]] struct string *init_string__(const char *file, int line, struct string *string);
+struct string *init_string__(const char *file, int line, struct string *string);
 #define init_string(string) init_string__(__FILE__, __LINE__, string)
 #else
-[[nodiscard]] struct string *init_string(struct string *string);
+struct string *init_string(struct string *string);
 #endif
 
 #else
diff --git a/src/viewer/dump/dump.c b/src/viewer/dump/dump.c
index 1adc6fc4..5395cc9d 100644
--- a/src/viewer/dump/dump.c
+++ b/src/viewer/dump/dump.c
@@ -267,10 +267,11 @@ write_start_of_link(struct link *link, struct dump_output *out)
 {
 	char buf[D_BUF];
 	char *where = link->where ?: link->where_img;
+	char *st;
 
 	snprintf(buf, D_BUF, "\033]8;;%s\033\\", where);
 
-	for (char *st = buf; *st; st++) {
+	for (st = buf; *st; st++) {
 		write_char(*st, out);
 	}
 }
@@ -279,8 +280,9 @@ static void
 write_end_of_link(struct dump_output *out)
 {
 	char buf[] = "\033]8;;\033\\";
+	char *st;
 
-	for (char *st = buf; *st; st++) {
+	for (st = buf; *st; st++) {
 		write_char(*st, out);
 	}
 }