diff --git a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeChecker.java b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeChecker.java
index 42466196c47..700dda57e5c 100644
--- a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeChecker.java
+++ b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.checkers/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeChecker.java
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ public class UnusedSymbolInFileScopeChecker extends AbstractIndexAstChecker {
 						// declarations
 						IASTSimpleDeclaration simpleDeclaration = (IASTSimpleDeclaration) element;
 
+						IASTDeclSpecifier declSpec = simpleDeclaration.getDeclSpecifier();
+						if (AttributeUtil.hasAttribute(declSpec, ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)) {
+							return PROCESS_SKIP;
+						}
 						IASTDeclarator[] declarators = simpleDeclaration.getDeclarators();
 						for (IASTDeclarator decl : declarators) {
 							if (AttributeUtil.hasAttribute(decl, ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED))
diff --git a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.tests/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeCheckerTest.java b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.tests/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeCheckerTest.java
index 87eb9e0998e..0bcdc83fd72 100644
--- a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.tests/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeCheckerTest.java
+++ b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.tests/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/internal/checkers/UnusedSymbolInFileScopeCheckerTest.java
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ public class UnusedSymbolInFileScopeCheckerTest extends CheckerTestCase {
 	}
 
 	// static int v1 __attribute__((unused));
+	// static int __attribute__((unused)) v2;
 	// int f1() __attribute__((__unused__));
 	// extern int f2() __attribute__((unused));
 	// static void f3() __attribute__((unused));
@@ -314,6 +315,9 @@ public class UnusedSymbolInFileScopeCheckerTest extends CheckerTestCase {
 	public void testAttributeUnused() throws Exception {
 		loadCodeAndRun(getAboveComment());
 		checkNoErrors();
+
+		loadCodeAndRunCpp(getAboveComment());
+		checkNoErrors();
 	}
 
 	//	extern int* pxCurrentTCB;