diff --git a/include/benchmark/benchmark.h b/include/benchmark/benchmark.h
index b25b0010..a17038c0 100644
--- a/include/benchmark/benchmark.h
+++ b/include/benchmark/benchmark.h
@@ -417,6 +417,8 @@ class Benchmark;
 class BenchmarkImp;
 class BenchmarkFamilies;
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT std::map<std::string, std::string>*& GetGlobalContext();
+
 BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 void UseCharPointer(char const volatile*);
 
diff --git a/src/benchmark.cc b/src/benchmark.cc
index f8c01343..e43b28d0 100644
--- a/src/benchmark.cc
+++ b/src/benchmark.cc
@@ -137,7 +137,11 @@ BM_DEFINE_int32(v, 0);
 
 namespace internal {
 
-BENCHMARK_EXPORT std::map<std::string, std::string>* global_context = nullptr;
+std::map<std::string, std::string>* global_context = nullptr;
+
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT std::map<std::string, std::string>*& GetGlobalContext() {
+  return global_context;
+}
 
 // FIXME: wouldn't LTO mess this up?
 void UseCharPointer(char const volatile*) {}
diff --git a/src/benchmark_name.cc b/src/benchmark_name.cc
index 4f738606..01676bbc 100644
--- a/src/benchmark_name.cc
+++ b/src/benchmark_name.cc
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ std::string join(char delimiter, const Ts&... ts) {
 }
 }  // namespace
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 std::string BenchmarkName::str() const {
   return join('/', function_name, args, min_time, min_warmup_time, iterations,
               repetitions, time_type, threads);
diff --git a/src/check.cc b/src/check.cc
index 422b9483..5f7526e0 100644
--- a/src/check.cc
+++ b/src/check.cc
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ namespace internal {
 
 static AbortHandlerT* handler = &std::abort;
 
-AbortHandlerT*& GetAbortHandler() { return handler; }
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT AbortHandlerT*& GetAbortHandler() { return handler; }
 
 }  // namespace internal
 }  // namespace benchmark
diff --git a/src/commandlineflags.cc b/src/commandlineflags.cc
index 9615e351..1f555b27 100644
--- a/src/commandlineflags.cc
+++ b/src/commandlineflags.cc
@@ -121,12 +121,14 @@ static std::string FlagToEnvVar(const char* flag) {
 
 }  // namespace
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool BoolFromEnv(const char* flag, bool default_val) {
   const std::string env_var = FlagToEnvVar(flag);
   const char* const value_str = getenv(env_var.c_str());
   return value_str == nullptr ? default_val : IsTruthyFlagValue(value_str);
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 int32_t Int32FromEnv(const char* flag, int32_t default_val) {
   const std::string env_var = FlagToEnvVar(flag);
   const char* const value_str = getenv(env_var.c_str());
@@ -139,6 +141,7 @@ int32_t Int32FromEnv(const char* flag, int32_t default_val) {
   return value;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 double DoubleFromEnv(const char* flag, double default_val) {
   const std::string env_var = FlagToEnvVar(flag);
   const char* const value_str = getenv(env_var.c_str());
@@ -151,12 +154,14 @@ double DoubleFromEnv(const char* flag, double default_val) {
   return value;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 const char* StringFromEnv(const char* flag, const char* default_val) {
   const std::string env_var = FlagToEnvVar(flag);
   const char* const value = getenv(env_var.c_str());
   return value == nullptr ? default_val : value;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 std::map<std::string, std::string> KvPairsFromEnv(
     const char* flag, std::map<std::string, std::string> default_val) {
   const std::string env_var = FlagToEnvVar(flag);
@@ -201,6 +206,7 @@ const char* ParseFlagValue(const char* str, const char* flag,
   return flag_end + 1;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool ParseBoolFlag(const char* str, const char* flag, bool* value) {
   // Gets the value of the flag as a string.
   const char* const value_str = ParseFlagValue(str, flag, true);
@@ -213,6 +219,7 @@ bool ParseBoolFlag(const char* str, const char* flag, bool* value) {
   return true;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool ParseInt32Flag(const char* str, const char* flag, int32_t* value) {
   // Gets the value of the flag as a string.
   const char* const value_str = ParseFlagValue(str, flag, false);
@@ -225,6 +232,7 @@ bool ParseInt32Flag(const char* str, const char* flag, int32_t* value) {
                     value);
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool ParseDoubleFlag(const char* str, const char* flag, double* value) {
   // Gets the value of the flag as a string.
   const char* const value_str = ParseFlagValue(str, flag, false);
@@ -237,6 +245,7 @@ bool ParseDoubleFlag(const char* str, const char* flag, double* value) {
                      value);
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool ParseStringFlag(const char* str, const char* flag, std::string* value) {
   // Gets the value of the flag as a string.
   const char* const value_str = ParseFlagValue(str, flag, false);
@@ -248,6 +257,7 @@ bool ParseStringFlag(const char* str, const char* flag, std::string* value) {
   return true;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool ParseKeyValueFlag(const char* str, const char* flag,
                        std::map<std::string, std::string>* value) {
   const char* const value_str = ParseFlagValue(str, flag, false);
@@ -263,10 +273,12 @@ bool ParseKeyValueFlag(const char* str, const char* flag,
   return true;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool IsFlag(const char* str, const char* flag) {
   return (ParseFlagValue(str, flag, true) != nullptr);
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool IsTruthyFlagValue(const std::string& value) {
   if (value.size() == 1) {
     char v = value[0];
diff --git a/src/console_reporter.cc b/src/console_reporter.cc
index 1711356b..3950e498 100644
--- a/src/console_reporter.cc
+++ b/src/console_reporter.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 namespace benchmark {
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool ConsoleReporter::ReportContext(const Context& context) {
   name_field_width_ = context.name_field_width;
   printed_header_ = false;
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ bool ConsoleReporter::ReportContext(const Context& context) {
   return true;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 void ConsoleReporter::PrintHeader(const Run& run) {
   std::string str =
       FormatString("%-*s %13s %15s %12s", static_cast<int>(name_field_width_),
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ void ConsoleReporter::PrintHeader(const Run& run) {
   GetOutputStream() << line << "\n" << str << "\n" << line << "\n";
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 void ConsoleReporter::ReportRuns(const std::vector<Run>& reports) {
   for (const auto& run : reports) {
     // print the header:
@@ -120,6 +123,7 @@ static std::string FormatTime(double time) {
   return FormatString("%10.0f", time);
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 void ConsoleReporter::PrintRunData(const Run& result) {
   typedef void(PrinterFn)(std::ostream&, LogColor, const char*, ...);
   auto& Out = GetOutputStream();
diff --git a/src/csv_reporter.cc b/src/csv_reporter.cc
index 1c5e9fa6..83c94573 100644
--- a/src/csv_reporter.cc
+++ b/src/csv_reporter.cc
@@ -52,11 +52,13 @@ std::string CsvEscape(const std::string& s) {
   return '"' + tmp + '"';
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 bool CSVReporter::ReportContext(const Context& context) {
   PrintBasicContext(&GetErrorStream(), context);
   return true;
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 void CSVReporter::ReportRuns(const std::vector<Run>& reports) {
   std::ostream& Out = GetOutputStream();
 
@@ -103,6 +105,7 @@ void CSVReporter::ReportRuns(const std::vector<Run>& reports) {
   }
 }
 
+BENCHMARK_EXPORT
 void CSVReporter::PrintRunData(const Run& run) {
   std::ostream& Out = GetOutputStream();
   Out << CsvEscape(run.benchmark_name()) << ",";
diff --git a/src/json_reporter.cc b/src/json_reporter.cc
index e9999e18..d55a0e6f 100644
--- a/src/json_reporter.cc
+++ b/src/json_reporter.cc
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@
 #include "timers.h"
 
 namespace benchmark {
-namespace internal {
-extern std::map<std::string, std::string>* global_context;
-}
-
 namespace {
 
 std::string StrEscape(const std::string& s) {
@@ -178,8 +174,11 @@ bool JSONReporter::ReportContext(const Context& context) {
 #endif
   out << indent << FormatKV("library_build_type", build_type);
 
-  if (internal::global_context != nullptr) {
-    for (const auto& kv : *internal::global_context) {
+  std::map<std::string, std::string>* global_context =
+      internal::GetGlobalContext();
+
+  if (global_context != nullptr) {
+    for (const auto& kv : *global_context) {
       out << ",\n";
       out << indent << FormatKV(kv.first, kv.second);
     }
diff --git a/src/reporter.cc b/src/reporter.cc
index 1d2df17b..8b5fdaff 100644
--- a/src/reporter.cc
+++ b/src/reporter.cc
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@
 #include "timers.h"
 
 namespace benchmark {
-namespace internal {
-extern std::map<std::string, std::string> *global_context;
-}
 
 BenchmarkReporter::BenchmarkReporter()
     : output_stream_(&std::cout), error_stream_(&std::cerr) {}
@@ -67,8 +64,11 @@ void BenchmarkReporter::PrintBasicContext(std::ostream *out,
     Out << "\n";
   }
 
-  if (internal::global_context != nullptr) {
-    for (const auto &kv : *internal::global_context) {
+  std::map<std::string, std::string> *global_context =
+      internal::GetGlobalContext();
+
+  if (global_context != nullptr) {
+    for (const auto &kv : *global_context) {
       Out << kv.first << ": " << kv.second << "\n";
     }
   }
diff --git a/test/benchmark_gtest.cc b/test/benchmark_gtest.cc
index cfc0a0f7..3873128e 100644
--- a/test/benchmark_gtest.cc
+++ b/test/benchmark_gtest.cc
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 namespace benchmark {
 namespace internal {
-BENCHMARK_EXPORT extern std::map<std::string, std::string>* global_context;
 
 namespace {
 
@@ -134,6 +133,8 @@ TEST(AddRangeTest, Simple8) {
 }
 
 TEST(AddCustomContext, Simple) {
+  std::map<std::string, std::string> *&global_context =
+      internal::GetGlobalContext();
   EXPECT_THAT(global_context, nullptr);
 
   AddCustomContext("foo", "bar");
@@ -148,6 +149,8 @@ TEST(AddCustomContext, Simple) {
 }
 
 TEST(AddCustomContext, DuplicateKey) {
+  std::map<std::string, std::string> *&global_context =
+      internal::GetGlobalContext();
   EXPECT_THAT(global_context, nullptr);
 
   AddCustomContext("foo", "bar");