--- a/src/help.cc
+++ b/src/help.cc
@@ -325,21 +325,23 @@
   return keywords;
 }
 
-#define VERBOSE_HELP_MESSAGE \
-  "\n\
+#if defined (USE_GNU_INFO)
+static void
+additional_help_message (ostream& os)
+{
+  if (! Vsuppress_verbose_help_message)
+    os << "\n\
 Additional help for builtin functions, operators, and variables\n\
 is available in the on-line version of the manual.\n\
 \n\
-Use the command `help -i <topic>' to search the manual index.\n"
-
+Use the command `help -i <topic>' to search the manual index.\n";
+}
+#else
 static void
-additional_help_message (ostream& os)
+additional_help_message (ostream&)
 {
-#ifdef USE_GNU_INFO
-  if (! Vsuppress_verbose_help_message)
-    os << VERBOSE_HELP_MESSAGE;
+}
 #endif
-}
 
 void
 print_usage (const string& nm, int just_usage)
@@ -518,7 +520,7 @@
   additional_help_message (octave_stdout);
 }
 
-#ifdef USE_GNU_INFO
+#if defined (USE_GNU_INFO)
 static int
 try_info (const string& nm)
 {
@@ -563,12 +565,10 @@
 
   return status;
 }
-#endif
 
 static void
 help_from_info (const string_vector& argv, int idx, int argc)
 {
-#ifdef USE_GNU_INFO
   if (idx == argc)
     try_info (string ());
   else
@@ -594,10 +594,14 @@
 	    }
 	}
     }
+}
 #else
+static void
+help_from_info (const string_vector&, int, int)
+{
   message (0, "sorry, help -i is not available in this version of Octave");
+}
 #endif
-}
 
 int
 help_from_list (ostream& os, const help_list *list,
@@ -671,7 +675,7 @@
   additional_help_message (octave_stdout);
 }
 
-#ifdef USE_GNU_INFO
+#if defined (USE_GNU_INFO)
 DEFUN_TEXT (help, args, ,
   "help [-i] [topic ...]\n\
 \n\
@@ -962,11 +966,9 @@
   DEFVAR (INFO_PROGRAM, Vinfo_prog, 0, info_prog,
     "name of the Octave info reader");
 
-#ifdef USE_GNU_INFO
   DEFVAR (suppress_verbose_help_message, 0.0, 0, suppress_verbose_help_message,
     "suppress printing of message pointing to additional help in the\n\
 help and usage functions");
-#endif
 }
 
 /*