diff --git a/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.cpp b/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.cpp
index 618568bd5da..e35aa32d9b6 100644
--- a/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.cpp
+++ b/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.cpp
@@ -229,6 +229,10 @@ void ansi_c_convert_typet::read_rec(const typet &type)
   }
   else if(type.id()==ID_noreturn)
     c_qualifiers.is_noreturn=true;
+  else if(type.id()==ID_constructor)
+    constructor=true;
+  else if(type.id()==ID_destructor)
+    destructor=true;
   else
     other.push_back(type);
 }
@@ -274,6 +278,33 @@ void ansi_c_convert_typet::write(typet &type)
     }
 
     type.swap(other.front());
+
+    if(constructor || destructor)
+    {
+      if(constructor && destructor)
+      {
+        err_location(source_location);
+        str << "combining constructor and destructor not supported";
+        error_msg();
+        throw 0;
+      }
+      else if(type.id()!=ID_empty)
+      {
+        err_location(source_location);
+        str << "constructor and destructor required to be type void";
+        error_msg();
+        throw 0;
+      }
+
+      type.id(constructor ? ID_constructor : ID_destructor);
+    }
+  }
+  else if(constructor || destructor)
+  {
+    err_location(source_location);
+    str << "constructor and destructor required to be type void";
+    error_msg();
+    throw 0;
   }
   else if(gcc_float128_cnt)
   {
diff --git a/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.h b/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.h
index eff7353dffd..a40d3f3549e 100644
--- a/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.h
+++ b/src/ansi-c/ansi_c_convert_type.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class ansi_c_convert_typet:public message_streamt
   bool packed, aligned;
   exprt vector_size, alignment, bv_width, fraction_width;
   exprt msc_based; // this is Visual Studio
+  bool constructor, destructor;
 
   // storage spec
   c_storage_spect c_storage_spec;
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ class ansi_c_convert_typet:public message_streamt
     msc_based.make_nil();
     gcc_attribute_mode.make_nil();
     
-    packed=aligned=false;
+    packed=aligned=constructor=destructor=false;
 
     other.clear();
     c_storage_spec.clear();
diff --git a/src/ansi-c/expr2c.cpp b/src/ansi-c/expr2c.cpp
index f4dcac5616a..c8797e8c726 100644
--- a/src/ansi-c/expr2c.cpp
+++ b/src/ansi-c/expr2c.cpp
@@ -694,6 +694,11 @@ std::string expr2ct::convert_rec(
   {
     return q+"__builtin_va_list"+d;
   }
+  else if(src.id()==ID_constructor ||
+          src.id()==ID_destructor)
+  {
+    return q+"__attribute__(("+id2string(src.id())+")) void"+d;
+  }
 
   {
     lispexprt lisp;
diff --git a/src/ansi-c/parser.y b/src/ansi-c/parser.y
index 4e404c94a3a..a933daafe29 100644
--- a/src/ansi-c/parser.y
+++ b/src/ansi-c/parser.y
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ extern char *yyansi_ctext;
 %token TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_GNU_INLINE "__gnu_inline__"
 %token TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_WEAK "weak"
 %token TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_NORETURN "noreturn"
+%token TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_CONSTRUCTOR "constructor"
+%token TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_DESTRUCTOR "destructor"
 %token TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_END ")"
 %token TOK_GCC_LABEL   "__label__"
 %token TOK_MSC_ASM     "__asm"
@@ -1566,6 +1568,10 @@ gcc_type_attribute:
         { $$=$1; set($$, ID_noreturn); }
         | TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_NORETURN TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_END
         { $$=$1; set($$, ID_noreturn); }
+        | TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_CONSTRUCTOR TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_END
+        { $$=$1; set($$, ID_constructor); }
+        | TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_DESTRUCTOR TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_END
+        { $$=$1; set($$, ID_destructor); }
         | gcc_attribute_specifier
         ;
 
diff --git a/src/ansi-c/scanner.l b/src/ansi-c/scanner.l
index 977f428231e..fa9284bc888 100644
--- a/src/ansi-c/scanner.l
+++ b/src/ansi-c/scanner.l
@@ -1378,6 +1378,12 @@ __decltype          { if(PARSER.cpp98 && PARSER.mode==ansi_c_parsert::GCC)
 "noreturn" |
 "__noreturn__"      { BEGIN(GCC_ATTRIBUTE3); loc(); return TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_NORETURN; }
 
+"constructor" |
+"__constructor__"   { BEGIN(GCC_ATTRIBUTE3); loc(); return TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_CONSTRUCTOR; }
+
+"destructor" |
+"__destructor__"   { BEGIN(GCC_ATTRIBUTE3); loc(); return TOK_GCC_ATTRIBUTE_DESTRUCTOR; }
+
 {ws}                { /* ignore */ }
 {newline}           { /* ignore */ }
 {identifier}        { BEGIN(GCC_ATTRIBUTE4); }
diff --git a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck.cpp b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck.cpp
index 232b494849b..73230c0723a 100644
--- a/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/cpp_typecheck.cpp
@@ -301,8 +301,7 @@ void cpp_typecheckt::static_and_dynamic_initialization()
   init_symbol.mode=ID_cpp;
   init_symbol.module=module;
   init_symbol.type=code_typet();
-  init_symbol.type.add(ID_return_type)=typet(ID_empty);
-  init_symbol.type.set("initialization", true);
+  init_symbol.type.add(ID_return_type)=typet(ID_constructor);
   init_symbol.is_type=false;
   init_symbol.is_macro=false;
 
diff --git a/src/linking/remove_internal_symbols.cpp b/src/linking/remove_internal_symbols.cpp
index 71c801254ce..cdb59b3baa9 100644
--- a/src/linking/remove_internal_symbols.cpp
+++ b/src/linking/remove_internal_symbols.cpp
@@ -132,6 +132,15 @@ void remove_internal_symbols(
       symbol.value.is_not_nil() &&
       !symbol.value.get_bool(ID_C_zero_initializer);
 
+    // __attribute__((constructor)), __attribute__((destructor))
+    if(symbol.mode==ID_C && is_function && is_file_local)
+    {
+      const code_typet &code_type=to_code_type(symbol.type);
+      if(code_type.return_type().id()==ID_constructor ||
+         code_type.return_type().id()==ID_destructor)
+        is_file_local=false;
+    }
+
     if(is_type)
     {
       // never EXPORTED by itself
diff --git a/src/linking/static_lifetime_init.cpp b/src/linking/static_lifetime_init.cpp
index 6c909e19d11..096a4e7f749 100644
--- a/src/linking/static_lifetime_init.cpp
+++ b/src/linking/static_lifetime_init.cpp
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ bool static_lifetime_init(
   {
     const symbolt &symbol=ns.lookup(id);
 
-    if(symbol.type.get_bool("initialization") &&
-       symbol.type.id()==ID_code)
+    if(symbol.type.id()==ID_code &&
+       to_code_type(symbol.type).return_type().id()==ID_constructor)
     {
       code_function_callt function_call;      
       function_call.function()=symbol.symbol_expr();