diff --git a/R-package/src/Makevars b/R-package/src/Makevars
index ae1e3def5..44dce490e 100644
--- a/R-package/src/Makevars
+++ b/R-package/src/Makevars
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # package root
 PKGROOT=../../
 # _*_ mode: Makefile; _*_
-PKG_CPPFLAGS= -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_MSG_ -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_PRNG_ -I$(PKGROOT)
+PKG_CPPFLAGS= -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_MSG_ -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_PRNG_ -DXGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98_ -I$(PKGROOT)
 PKG_CXXFLAGS= $(SHLIB_OPENMP_CFLAGS)
 PKG_LIBS = $(SHLIB_OPENMP_CFLAGS)
-OBJECTS= xgboost_R.o $(PKGROOT)/wrapper/xgboost_wrapper.o $(PKGROOT)/src/io/io.o $(PKGROOT)/src/gbm/gbm.o $(PKGROOT)/src/tree/updater.o
+OBJECTS= xgboost_R.o xgboost_assert.o $(PKGROOT)/wrapper/xgboost_wrapper.o $(PKGROOT)/src/io/io.o $(PKGROOT)/src/gbm/gbm.o $(PKGROOT)/src/tree/updater.o
 
 
diff --git a/R-package/src/Makevars.win b/R-package/src/Makevars.win
index aec0d2c89..289f1a15a 100644
--- a/R-package/src/Makevars.win
+++ b/R-package/src/Makevars.win
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # package root
 PKGROOT=../../
 # _*_ mode: Makefile; _*_
-PKG_CPPFLAGS= -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_MSG_ -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_PRNG_ -I$(PKGROOT)  
+PKG_CPPFLAGS= -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_MSG_ -DXGBOOST_CUSTOMIZE_PRNG_ -DXGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98_ -I$(PKGROOT)
 PKG_CXXFLAGS= $(SHLIB_OPENMP_CFLAGS)
 PKG_LIBS = $(SHLIB_OPENMP_CFLAGS)
-OBJECTS= xgboost_R.o $(PKGROOT)/wrapper/xgboost_wrapper.o $(PKGROOT)/src/io/io.o $(PKGROOT)/src/gbm/gbm.o $(PKGROOT)/src/tree/updater.o
+OBJECTS= xgboost_R.o xgboost_assert.o $(PKGROOT)/wrapper/xgboost_wrapper.o $(PKGROOT)/src/io/io.o $(PKGROOT)/src/gbm/gbm.o $(PKGROOT)/src/tree/updater.o
diff --git a/R-package/src/xgboost_R.cpp b/R-package/src/xgboost_R.cpp
index 38cce98b4..2f1a8b772 100644
--- a/R-package/src/xgboost_R.cpp
+++ b/R-package/src/xgboost_R.cpp
@@ -8,21 +8,22 @@
 #include "src/utils/utils.h"
 #include "src/utils/omp.h"
 #include "src/utils/matrix_csr.h"
-
 using namespace xgboost;
+
+extern "C" {
+  void XGBoostAssert_R(int exp, const char *fmt, ...);
+  void XGBoostCheck_R(int exp, const char *fmt, ...);
+}
+
 // implements error handling
 namespace xgboost {
 namespace utils {
-void HandleAssertError(const char *msg) {
-  error("%s", msg);
-}
-void HandleCheckError(const char *msg) {
-  error("%s", msg);
-}
-void HandlePrint(const char *msg) {
-  Rprintf("%s", msg);
-}
+void (*Printf)(const char *fmt, ...) = Rprintf;
+void (*Assert)(int exp, const char *fmt, ...) = XGBoostAssert_R;
+void (*Check)(int exp, const char *fmt, ...) = XGBoostCheck_R;
+void (*Error)(const char *fmt, ...) = error;
 }  // namespace utils
+
 namespace random {
 void Seed(unsigned seed) {
   warning("parameter seed is ignored, please set random seed using set.seed");
diff --git a/R-package/src/xgboost_assert.c b/R-package/src/xgboost_assert.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a2539c3b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R-package/src/xgboost_assert.c
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <Rinternals.h>
+
+// implements error handling
+void XGBoostAssert_R(int exp, const char *fmt, ...) {
+  char buf[1024];
+  if (exp == 0) {
+    va_list args;  
+    va_start(args, fmt);
+    vsprintf(buf, fmt, args);
+    va_end(args);
+    error("AssertError:%s\n", buf);
+  }  
+}
+void XGBoostCheck_R(int exp, const char *fmt, ...) {
+  char buf[1024];
+  if (exp == 0) {
+    va_list args;  
+    va_start(args, fmt);
+    vsprintf(buf, fmt, args);
+    va_end(args);
+    error("%s\n", buf);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.h b/src/utils/utils.h
index 7fc966c97..1214be861 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils/utils.h
@@ -70,14 +70,23 @@ inline void HandlePrint(const char *msg) {
   printf("%s", msg);
 }
 #else
+#ifndef XGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98__
 // include declarations, some one must implement this
 void HandleAssertError(const char *msg);
 void HandleCheckError(const char *msg);
 void HandlePrint(const char *msg);
 #endif
+#endif
 
+#ifdef XGBOOST_STRICT_CXX98_
+// these function pointers are to be assigned 
+extern void (*Printf)(const char *fmt, ...);
+extern void (*Assert)(int exp, const char *fmt, ...);
+extern void (*Check)(int exp, const char *fmt, ...);
+extern void (*Error)(const char *fmt, ...);
+#else
 /*! \brief printf, print message to the console */
-inline void Printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
+inline void Printf(const char *fmt, ...) {  
   std::string msg(kPrintBuffer, '\0');
   va_list args;
   va_start(args, fmt);
@@ -121,6 +130,7 @@ inline void Error(const char *fmt, ...) {
     HandleCheckError(msg.c_str());
   }
 }
+#endif
 
 /*! \brief replace fopen, report error when the file open fails */
 inline FILE *FopenCheck(const char *fname, const char *flag) {