diff --git a/examples/echoserver/echoserver.c b/examples/echoserver/echoserver.c
index ead3eb39..e9ea78eb 100644
--- a/examples/echoserver/echoserver.c
+++ b/examples/echoserver/echoserver.c
@@ -86,17 +86,34 @@ typedef int SOCKET_T;
     #define CYASSL_THREAD __stdcall
 #endif
 
-
 typedef struct {
     SOCKET_T clientFd;
 } thread_ctx_t;
 
 
-static INLINE void err_sys(const char* msg)
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+    #define WS_NORETURN __attribute__((noreturn))
+#else
+    #define WS_NORETURN
+#endif
+
+
+static INLINE WS_NORETURN void err_sys(const char* msg)
 {
     printf("server error: %s\n", msg);
+
+#ifndef __GNUC__
+    /* scan-build (which pretends to be gnuc) can get confused and think the
+     * msg pointer can be null even when hardcoded and then it won't exit,
+     * making null pointer checks above the err_sys() call useless.
+     * We could just always exit() but some compilers will complain about no
+     * possible return, with gcc we know the attribute to handle that with
+     * WS_NORETURN. */
     if (msg)
+#endif
+    {
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -669,4 +686,3 @@ int main(void)
 
     return 0;
 }
-
diff --git a/examples/server/server.c b/examples/server/server.c
index 4356105a..73251767 100644
--- a/examples/server/server.c
+++ b/examples/server/server.c
@@ -84,17 +84,34 @@ typedef int SOCKET_T;
     #define CYASSL_THREAD __stdcall
 #endif
 
-
 typedef struct {
     SOCKET_T clientFd;
 } thread_ctx_t;
 
 
-static INLINE void err_sys(const char* msg)
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+    #define WS_NORETURN __attribute__((noreturn))
+#else
+    #define WS_NORETURN
+#endif
+
+
+static INLINE WS_NORETURN void err_sys(const char* msg)
 {
     printf("server error: %s\n", msg);
+
+#ifndef __GNUC__
+    /* scan-build (which pretends to be gnuc) can get confused and think the
+     * msg pointer can be null even when hardcoded and then it won't exit,
+     * making null pointer checks above the err_sys() call useless.
+     * We could just always exit() but some compilers will complain about no
+     * possible return, with gcc we know the attribute to handle that with
+     * WS_NORETURN. */
     if (msg)
+#endif
+    {
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
 }