http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53493
--- Comment #2 from jwatte at gmail dot com 2012-05-26 19:22:01 UTC --- Note that there is not yet any linkage involved -- this is simply a compile pass. Specifically, the problem here is that I run into a missing symbol error when linking a program that does use the symbol. I'm pretty sure that the C++ standard does not specify that separate compilation should break unless all const variables are used in the compilation unit where they are defined. I will attach the preprocessed source.