diff --git a/include/functions.h b/include/functions.h
index 45ca07167..2153756fd 100644
--- a/include/functions.h
+++ b/include/functions.h
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 #include "stdlib/stdarg.h"
 #include "libc/xstdio.h"
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 f32 fabsf(f32 f);
 f64 fabs(f64 f);
 f32 cosine(s16 arg0);
@@ -1096,4 +1100,8 @@ void restore_map_collision_data(void);
 void mdl_load_all_textures(struct ModelNode* model, s32 romOffset, s32 size);
 void mdl_calculate_model_sizes(void);
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/macros.h b/include/macros.h
index e77e8c1bf..945134b56 100644
--- a/include/macros.h
+++ b/include/macros.h
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@
 
 #define NAME_SUFFIX
 #define NAME_PREFIX
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+// use C++ namespaces instead of these macros!
+#define A(sym) sym
+#define N(sym) sym
+#else
 #define A(sym) NS(AREA, NAME_PREFIX, sym, NAME_SUFFIX)
 #define N(sym) NS(NAMESPACE, NAME_PREFIX, sym, NAME_SUFFIX)
+#endif
 
 #define ARRAY_COUNT(arr) (s32)(sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]))
 
diff --git a/include/npc.h b/include/npc.h
index b4ff96ab2..d665f6f4f 100644
--- a/include/npc.h
+++ b/include/npc.h
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 #include "enums.h"
 #include "script_api/map.h"
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 // battle and stage are optional in overloaded NPC_GROUP macros
 #define NPC_GROUP(args...) VFUNC(NPC_GROUP, args)
 #define NPC_GROUP1(npcs)                { sizeof(npcs) / sizeof(NpcData), (NpcData*) &npcs, 0, 0 }
@@ -657,4 +661,8 @@ Enemy* get_enemy_safe(s32 npcID);
 
 void set_npc_sprite(Npc* npc, s32 anim, AnimID* extraAnimList);
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/script_api/battle.h b/include/script_api/battle.h
index 24947817d..35fb07a09 100644
--- a/include/script_api/battle.h
+++ b/include/script_api/battle.h
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 
 #include "effects.h"
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 API_CALLABLE(EnablePartnerBlur);
 API_CALLABLE(DisablePartnerBlur);
 API_CALLABLE(UseBattleCamPreset);
@@ -378,4 +382,8 @@ extern EvtScript Rumble_Unused_2;
 extern EvtScript Rumble_Unused_3;
 extern EvtScript Rumble_Unused_4;
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/script_api/common.h b/include/script_api/common.h
index d6abe66a4..8b53600fd 100644
--- a/include/script_api/common.h
+++ b/include/script_api/common.h
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 #include "../common.h"
 #include "macros.h"
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 /// @{
 /// @name Map
 
@@ -1373,4 +1377,8 @@ API_CALLABLE(DemoJoystickXY);
 extern EvtScript EnemyNpcHit;
 extern EvtScript EnemyNpcDefeat;
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/script_api/macros.h b/include/script_api/macros.h
index 8cbd5212d..ec66a9f30 100644
--- a/include/script_api/macros.h
+++ b/include/script_api/macros.h
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 #include "evt.h"
 #include "stdlib/stdarg.h"
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 /****** EXPRESSIONS ***************************************************************************************************/
 
 /// Expressions in EVT instructions should be one of the following types:
@@ -830,4 +834,8 @@
 #define PlayEffect14(effect, subtype, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l) \
     Call(PlayEffect_impl, effect, subtype, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l)
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/script_api/map.h b/include/script_api/map.h
index afd6c3025..aa959684f 100644
--- a/include/script_api/map.h
+++ b/include/script_api/map.h
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 #include "script_api/common.h"
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 API_CALLABLE(MakeNpcs);
 API_CALLABLE(BasicAI_Main);
 API_CALLABLE(ResetFromLava);
@@ -56,4 +60,8 @@ extern EvtScript BaseEnterDoor;
 extern EvtScript EnterPostPipe;
 extern EvtScript EVS_ShopOwnerDialog;
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/dx/debug_menu.h b/src/dx/debug_menu.h
index 1db089381..e99cf5998 100644
--- a/src/dx/debug_menu.h
+++ b/src/dx/debug_menu.h
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 #include "dx/config.h"
 #if DX_DEBUG_MENU || defined(DX_QUICK_LAUNCH_BATTLE)
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
 #define DX_DEBUG_DUMMY_ID 0xDEAD
 
 typedef enum DebugCheat {
@@ -25,6 +29,8 @@ void dx_debug_set_battle_info(s32 battleID, char* stageName);
 
 void dx_debug_begin_battle_with_IDs(s16 battle, s16 stage);
 
+void dx_hashed_debug_printf(char* filename, s32 line, char* fmt, ...);
+
 #define debug_print(text) dx_hashed_debug_printf(__FILE__,__LINE__,text)
 #define debug_printf(fmt, args...) dx_hashed_debug_printf(__FILE__,__LINE__,fmt,##args)
 
@@ -68,4 +74,8 @@ API_CALLABLE(_dxDebugFloatPrintf);
 #define DebugFloatPrintf8(text, a, b, c, d, e, f, g) \
     Call(_dxDebugFloatPrintf, Ref(__FILE__), __LINE__, Ref(text), a, b, c, d, e, f, g)
 
+#ifdef _LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/build/configure.py b/tools/build/configure.py
index 18ba38873..6abc7634e 100755
--- a/tools/build/configure.py
+++ b/tools/build/configure.py
@@ -66,11 +66,12 @@ def write_ninja_rules(
     cc_egcs_dir = f"{BUILD_TOOLS}/cc/egcs/"
     cc_egcs = f"{cc_egcs_dir}/gcc"
     cxx = f"{BUILD_TOOLS}/cc/gcc/g++"
+    cxx_modern = f"{cross}g++"
 
     BFDNAME = "elf32-tradbigmips"
 
     CPPFLAGS_COMMON = (
-        "-Iver/$version/include -Iver/$version/build/include -Iinclude -Isrc -Iassets/$version -D_LANGUAGE_C -D_FINALROM "
+        "-Iver/$version/include -Iver/$version/build/include -Iinclude -Isrc -Iassets/$version -D_FINALROM "
         "-DVERSION=$version -DF3DEX_GBI_2 -D_MIPS_SZLONG=32"
     )
 
@@ -80,9 +81,9 @@ def write_ninja_rules(
 
     CPPFLAGS = "-w " + CPPFLAGS_COMMON + " -nostdinc"
 
-    cflags = f"-c -G0 -O2 -gdwarf-2 -x c -B {BUILD_TOOLS}/cc/gcc/ {extra_cflags}"
+    cflags = f"-c -G0 -O2 -gdwarf-2 -B {BUILD_TOOLS}/cc/gcc/ {extra_cflags}"
 
-    cflags_modern = f"-c -G0 -O2 -gdwarf-2 -fdiagnostics-color=always -fno-builtin-bcopy -fno-tree-loop-distribute-patterns -funsigned-char -mgp32 -mfp32 -mabi=32 -mfix4300 -march=vr4300 -mno-gpopt -fno-toplevel-reorder -mno-abicalls -fno-pic -fno-exceptions -fno-stack-protector -fno-zero-initialized-in-bss -Wno-builtin-declaration-mismatch -x c {extra_cflags}"
+    cflags_modern = f"-c -G0 -O2 -gdwarf-2 -fdiagnostics-color=always -fno-builtin-bcopy -fno-tree-loop-distribute-patterns -funsigned-char -mgp32 -mfp32 -mabi=32 -mfix4300 -march=vr4300 -mno-gpopt -fno-toplevel-reorder -mno-abicalls -fno-pic -fno-exceptions -fno-stack-protector -fno-zero-initialized-in-bss -Wno-builtin-declaration-mismatch {extra_cflags}"
 
     cflags_272 = f"-c -G0 -mgp32 -mfp32 -mips3 {extra_cflags}"
     cflags_272 = cflags_272.replace("-ggdb3", "-g1")
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ def write_ninja_rules(
     ninja.rule(
         "cc_modern",
         description="gcc_modern $in",
-        command=f"{ccache}{cc_modern} {cflags_modern} $cflags {CPPFLAGS} {extra_cppflags} $cppflags -MD -MF $out.d $in -o $out",
+        command=f"{ccache}{cc_modern} {cflags_modern} $cflags {CPPFLAGS} {extra_cppflags} $cppflags -D_LANGUAGE_C -MD -MF $out.d $in -o $out",
         depfile="$out.d",
         deps="gcc",
     )
@@ -178,6 +179,14 @@ def write_ninja_rules(
         deps="gcc",
     )
 
+    ninja.rule(
+        "cxx_modern",
+        description="cxx_modern $in",
+        command=f"{ccache}{cxx_modern} {cflags_modern} $cflags {CPPFLAGS} {extra_cppflags} $cppflags -std=c++20 -D_LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS -MD -MF $out.d $in -o $out",
+        depfile="$out.d",
+        deps="gcc",
+    )
+
     ninja.rule(
         "dead_cc_fix",
         description="dead_cc_fix $in",
@@ -698,19 +707,22 @@ def build(
                     task = "cxx"
 
                 if modern_gcc:
-                    task = "cc_modern"
+                    if task == "cxx":
+                        task = "cxx_modern"
+                    else:
+                        task = "cc_modern"
 
                 if entry.src_paths[0].suffixes[-1] == ".s":
                     task = "as"
                 elif "gcc_272" in cflags:
-                    task = "cc_272"
+                    #task = "cc_272"
                     cflags = cflags.replace("gcc_272", "")
                 elif "egcs" in cflags:
-                    if sys.platform == "darwin" and non_matching:
-                        print(f"warning: using default compiler for {seg.name} because egcs is not supported on macOS")
-                    else:
-                        task = "cc_egcs"
-                        cflags = cflags.replace("egcs", "")
+                   if sys.platform == "darwin" and non_matching:
+                       print(f"warning: using default compiler for {seg.name} because egcs is not supported on macOS")
+                   else:
+                       #task = "cc_egcs"
+                       cflags = cflags.replace("egcs", "")
                 elif "gcc_modern" in cflags:
                     task = "cc_modern"
                     cflags = cflags.replace("gcc_modern", "")
@@ -1488,7 +1500,7 @@ def make_current(self, ninja: ninja_syntax.Writer):
     if args.shift:
         extra_cppflags += " -DSHIFT"
 
-    extra_cflags += " -Wmissing-braces -Wimplicit -Wredundant-decls -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-redundant-decls"
+    extra_cflags += " -Wmissing-braces -Wredundant-decls -Wno-redundant-decls"
 
     # add splat to python import path
     sys.path.insert(0, str((ROOT / args.splat / "src").resolve()))