diff --git a/src/core.cc b/src/core.cc
index db19e86a..8b010d92 100644
--- a/src/core.cc
+++ b/src/core.cc
@@ -2067,7 +2067,7 @@ int extract_variable_text_internal(struct text_object *retval,
         } catch (obj_create_error &e) {
           free(buf);
           free(orig_p);
-          throw e;
+          throw;
         }
         if (obj != nullptr) {
           append_object(retval, obj);
diff --git a/src/imlib2.cc b/src/imlib2.cc
index bd2773a6..4f376c18 100644
--- a/src/imlib2.cc
+++ b/src/imlib2.cc
@@ -285,10 +285,7 @@ void cimlib_render(int x, int y, int width, int height) {
   imlib_free_image();
 }
 
-void print_image_callback(struct text_object *obj, char *p,
-                          int p_max_size) {
-  p = p; // just a trick to make the compiler happy about this being non-const
-  (void)p_max_size;
-
+void print_image_callback(struct text_object *obj, char *,
+                          int) {
   cimlib_add_image(obj->data.s);
 }
diff --git a/src/logging.h b/src/logging.h
index b2a6ad16..143f349b 100644
--- a/src/logging.h
+++ b/src/logging.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ void clean_up(void *memtofree1, void *memtofree2);
 void clean_up_without_threads(void *memtofree1, void *memtofree2);
 
 template <typename... Args>
-void gettextize_format(const char *format, Args &&... args) {
+inline void gettextize_format(const char *format, Args &&... args) {
   fprintf(stderr, _(format), args...);
 }
 
@@ -73,27 +73,29 @@ void gettextize_format(const char *format, Args &&... args) {
 // "format not a string literal and no format arguments" warning
 inline void gettextize_format(const char *format) { fputs(_(format), stderr); }
 
-#define NORM_ERR(...)                   \
-  do {                                  \
-    fprintf(stderr, PACKAGE_NAME ": "); \
-    gettextize_format(__VA_ARGS__);     \
-    fputs("\n", stderr);                \
-  } while (0)
+template <typename... Args>
+void NORM_ERR(const char *format, Args &&... args) {
+  fprintf(stderr, PACKAGE_NAME ": ");
+  gettextize_format(format, args...);
+  fputs("\n", stderr);
+}
 
 /* critical error */
-#define CRIT_ERR(memtofree1, memtofree2, ...) \
-  {                                           \
-    NORM_ERR(__VA_ARGS__);                    \
-    clean_up(memtofree1, memtofree2);         \
-    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);                       \
-  }
+template <typename... Args>
+inline void CRIT_ERR(void *memtofree1, void *memtofree2, const char *format,
+  Args &&... args) {
+  NORM_ERR(format, args...);
+  clean_up(memtofree1, memtofree2);
+  exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
 
-#define THREAD_CRIT_ERR(memtofree1, memtofree2, ...)  \
-  {                                                   \
-    NORM_ERR(__VA_ARGS__);                            \
-    clean_up_without_threads(memtofree1, memtofree2); \
-    return;                                           \
-  }
+template <typename... Args>
+inline void THREAD_CRIT_ERR(void *memtofree1, void *memtofree2,
+  const char *format, Args &&... args) {
+  NORM_ERR(format, args...);
+  clean_up_without_threads(memtofree1, memtofree2);
+  return;
+}
 
 namespace conky {
 class error : public std::runtime_error {
@@ -104,15 +106,21 @@ class error : public std::runtime_error {
 
 /* debugging output */
 extern int global_debug_level;
-#define __DBGP(level, ...)                                               \
-  do {                                                                   \
-    if (global_debug_level > level) {                                    \
-      fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG(%d) [" __FILE__ ":%d]: ", level, __LINE__); \
-      gettextize_format(__VA_ARGS__);                                    \
-      fputs("\n", stderr);                                               \
-    }                                                                    \
-  } while (0)
-#define DBGP(...) __DBGP(0, __VA_ARGS__)
-#define DBGP2(...) __DBGP(1, __VA_ARGS__)
+template <typename... Args>
+inline void __DBGP(const int level, const char *format, Args &&... args) {
+  if (global_debug_level > level) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG(%d) [" __FILE__ ":%d]: ", level, __LINE__);
+  gettextize_format(format, args...);
+    fputs("\n", stderr);
+  }
+}
+template <typename... Args>
+void DBGP(const char *format, Args &&... args) {
+    __DBGP(0, format, args...);
+}
+template <typename... Args>
+void DBGP2(const char *format, Args &&... args) {
+    __DBGP(1, format, args...);
+}
 
 #endif /* _LOGGING_H */
diff --git a/src/text_object.cc b/src/text_object.cc
index ec46103e..e69bb211 100644
--- a/src/text_object.cc
+++ b/src/text_object.cc
@@ -37,15 +37,12 @@ void gen_free_opaque(struct text_object *obj) {
   free_and_zero(obj->data.opaque);
 }
 
-int gen_false_iftest(struct text_object *obj) {
-  (void)obj;
+int gen_false_iftest(struct text_object *) {
   return 0;
 }
 
-void gen_print_nothing(struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size) {
-  (void)obj;
-  p = p; // just a trick to make the compiler happy about this being non-const
-  (void)p_max_size;
+void gen_print_nothing(struct text_object *, char *, int) {
+  // literally does nothing
 }
 
 void gen_print_obj_data_s(struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size) {