diff --git a/tools/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h b/tools/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h
index 616935f1ff56473a3096e6f791963833f6021f43..825d44f89a2901035cb78a138eabc7175fcf246b 100644
--- a/tools/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h
+++ b/tools/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h
@@ -16,3 +16,6 @@
 #if GCC_VERSION >= 40300
 # define __compiletime_error(message) __attribute__((error(message)))
 #endif /* GCC_VERSION >= 40300 */
+
+/* &a[0] degrades to a pointer: a different type from an array */
+#define __must_be_array(a)	BUILD_BUG_ON_ZERO(__same_type((a), &(a)[0]))
diff --git a/tools/include/linux/compiler.h b/tools/include/linux/compiler.h
index c9e65e8faacdd0d02942b54fba9b262976d8b068..23299d7e71602efd2bd317786ca5fc800b2ed4a2 100644
--- a/tools/include/linux/compiler.h
+++ b/tools/include/linux/compiler.h
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
 # define __always_inline	inline __attribute__((always_inline))
 #endif
 
+/* Are two types/vars the same type (ignoring qualifiers)? */
+#ifndef __same_type
+# define __same_type(a, b) __builtin_types_compatible_p(typeof(a), typeof(b))
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __ANDROID__
 /*
  * FIXME: Big hammer to get rid of tons of: