diff --git a/googletest/include/gtest/internal/custom/gtest-port.h b/googletest/include/gtest/internal/custom/gtest-port.h
index 7e744bd3..c85f5d58 100644
--- a/googletest/include/gtest/internal/custom/gtest-port.h
+++ b/googletest/include/gtest/internal/custom/gtest-port.h
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@
 //     GTEST_EXCLUSIVE_LOCK_REQUIRED_(locks)
 //     GTEST_LOCK_EXCLUDED_(locks)
 //
+//   Exporting API symbols:
+//     GTEST_API_ - Specifier for exported symbols.
+//
 // ** Custom implementation starts here **
 
 #ifndef GTEST_INCLUDE_GTEST_INTERNAL_CUSTOM_GTEST_PORT_H_
diff --git a/googletest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-port.h b/googletest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-port.h
index 38a83655..9d2efa3d 100644
--- a/googletest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-port.h
+++ b/googletest/include/gtest/internal/gtest-port.h
@@ -930,6 +930,11 @@ using ::std::tuple_size;
 
 #endif  // GTEST_HAS_SEH
 
+// GTEST_API_ qualifies all symbols that must be exported. The definitions below
+// are guarded by #ifndef to give embedders a chance to define GTEST_API_ in
+// gtest/internal/custom/gtest-port.h
+#ifndef GTEST_API_
+
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 # if GTEST_LINKED_AS_SHARED_LIBRARY
 #  define GTEST_API_ __declspec(dllimport)
@@ -940,9 +945,11 @@ using ::std::tuple_size;
 # define GTEST_API_ __attribute__((visibility ("default")))
 #endif // _MSC_VER
 
+#endif // GTEST_API_
+
 #ifndef GTEST_API_
 # define GTEST_API_
-#endif
+#endif // GTEST_API_
 
 #ifdef __GNUC__
 // Ask the compiler to never inline a given function.