diff --git a/lib/nimbase.h b/lib/nimbase.h
index d06ed7cbae..e1cb32b15c 100644
--- a/lib/nimbase.h
+++ b/lib/nimbase.h
@@ -466,16 +466,16 @@ struct TFrame_ {
 #define NIM_POSIX_INIT  __attribute__((constructor))
 
 #ifdef __GNUC__
-#  define likely(x) __builtin_expect(x, 1)
-#  define unlikely(x) __builtin_expect(x, 0)
+#  define NIM_LIKELY(x) __builtin_expect(x, 1)
+#  define NIM_UNLIKELY(x) __builtin_expect(x, 0)
 /* We need the following for the posix wrapper. In particular it will give us
    POSIX_SPAWN_USEVFORK: */
 #  ifndef _GNU_SOURCE
 #    define _GNU_SOURCE
 #  endif
 #else
-#  define likely(x) (x)
-#  define unlikely(x) (x)
+#  define NIM_LIKELY(x) (x)
+#  define NIM_UNLIKELY(x) (x)
 #endif
 
 #if 0 // defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__clang__)
diff --git a/lib/system.nim b/lib/system.nim
index 873aa6fc91..ca8eade71e 100644
--- a/lib/system.nim
+++ b/lib/system.nim
@@ -3387,8 +3387,8 @@ else:
 
 
 when not defined(JS):
-  proc likelyProc(val: bool): bool {.importc: "likely", nodecl, nosideeffect.}
-  proc unlikelyProc(val: bool): bool {.importc: "unlikely", nodecl, nosideeffect.}
+  proc likelyProc(val: bool): bool {.importc: "NIM_LIKELY", nodecl, nosideeffect.}
+  proc unlikelyProc(val: bool): bool {.importc: "NIM_UNLIKELY", nodecl, nosideeffect.}
 
 template likely*(val: bool): bool =
   ## Hints the optimizer that `val` is likely going to be true.