diff --git a/cde/config/cf/X11.rules b/cde/config/cf/X11.rules
index 915897d9b..80aecff71 100644
--- a/cde/config/cf/X11.rules
+++ b/cde/config/cf/X11.rules
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ XCOMM $TOG: X11.rules /main/4 1997/04/30 15:23:24 kaleb $
 #define LdPostLibs	LdPostLib XLdPostLibs
 
 #if ImportX11
-# define TopXInclude	-I$(TOP)/imports/x11/include
+# ifndef TopXInclude
+#  define TopXInclude	-I$(TOP)/imports/x11/include
+# endif
 #elif !UseInstalledX11
 # define TopXInclude	-I$(TOP)/exports/include
 #else
diff --git a/cde/config/cf/linux.cf b/cde/config/cf/linux.cf
index 390bca942..18c73ea2a 100644
--- a/cde/config/cf/linux.cf
+++ b/cde/config/cf/linux.cf
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 XCOMM platform:  $TOG: linux.cf /main/47 1998/04/17 11:32:51 mgreess $
 
+/* To reduce the number of warnings generated by X11 and Motif headers that
+   dislike -ansi and -pedantic we can include them with -isystem instead of
+   -I, this tells GCC to treat them as system includes out of our control */
+#define TopXInclude -isystem $(TOP)/imports/x11/include
+
 #ifndef OSName
 #define OSName			DefaultOSName
 #endif