diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a09f04014..b832a923e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ option( WITH_XINERAMA "Enable xinerama extension support" OFF )
 option( WITH_ARTS "Enable aRts support" OFF )
 option( WITH_I8K "Enable Dell laptop support (ksysguard)" OFF )
 option( WITH_HAL "Enable HAL support" OFF )
+option( WITH_GCC_VISIBILITY "Enable fvisibility and fvisibility-inlines-hidden" OFF )
 
 
 ##### user requested modules ####################
diff --git a/ConfigureChecks.cmake b/ConfigureChecks.cmake
index 259da26e1..7b7a1b449 100644
--- a/ConfigureChecks.cmake
+++ b/ConfigureChecks.cmake
@@ -44,6 +44,20 @@ if( WITH_HAL )
 endif( )
 
 
+##### check for gcc visibility support #########
+# FIXME
+# This should check for [T]Qt3 visibility support
+
+if( WITH_GCC_VISIBILITY )
+  if( NOT UNIX )
+    tde_message_fatal(FATAL_ERROR "\ngcc visibility support was requested, but your system is not *NIX" )
+  endif( NOT UNIX )
+  set( __KDE_HAVE_GCC_VISIBILITY 1 )
+  set( CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fvisibility=hidden -fvisibility-inlines-hidden")
+  set( CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fvisibility=hidden -fvisibility-inlines-hidden")
+endif( )
+
+
 # xrender (kdesktop, konsole, kcontrol, kicker, twin)
 if( WITH_XRENDER OR BUILD_KDESKTOP OR BUILD_KONSOLE OR BUILD_KCONTROL OR BUILD_KICKER )
   pkg_search_module( XRENDER xrender )
diff --git a/config.h.cmake b/config.h.cmake
index cdf1db888..d72a96c33 100644
--- a/config.h.cmake
+++ b/config.h.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #define VERSION "@VERSION@"
 
+// Defined if you have fvisibility and fvisibility-inlines-hidden support.
+#cmakedefine __KDE_HAVE_GCC_VISIBILITY 1
+
 // konsole
 #cmakedefine HAVE_PROC_CWD 1