diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c7524747c..2fd881843 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 export CC  = gcc
-export CXX = clang++
+export CXX = g++
 export LDFLAGS= -pthread -lm 
 
 export CFLAGS = -Wall -O3 -msse2  -Wno-unknown-pragmas -fPIC -pedantic -ansi
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.h b/src/utils/utils.h
index 49bd36819..56a957df9 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils/utils.h
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@
  */
 #define _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS
 #include <cstdio>
-#include <cstdarg>
 #include <string>
 #include <cstdlib>
+
+#ifndef XGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98_
+#include <cstdarg>
+#endif
+
 #if !defined(__GNUC__)
 #define fopen64 fopen
 #endif
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@ inline void HandlePrint(const char *msg) {
   printf("%s", msg);
 }
 #else
-#ifndef XGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98__
+#ifndef XGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98_
 // include declarations, some one must implement this
 void HandleAssertError(const char *msg);
 void HandleCheckError(const char *msg);