diff --git a/examples/Plugins/SamplerPluginDemo.h b/examples/Plugins/SamplerPluginDemo.h
index 38e1f47a1f..4d677d8764 100644
--- a/examples/Plugins/SamplerPluginDemo.h
+++ b/examples/Plugins/SamplerPluginDemo.h
@@ -2006,8 +2006,7 @@ private:
           loopKindLabel            { {}, "Looping Mode" };
 
 
-    FileChooser fileChooser { "Select a file to load...",
-                              File::nonexistent,
+    FileChooser fileChooser { "Select a file to load...", File(),
                               dataModel.getAudioFormatManager().getWildcardForAllFormats() };
 
     UndoManager* undoManager;
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
index e3b307ff9b..43b8180ddc 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
@@ -435,9 +435,7 @@ var::var() noexcept : type (&VariantType_Void::instance) {}
 var::var (const VariantType& t) noexcept  : type (&t) {}
 var::~var() noexcept  { type->cleanUp (value); }
 
-#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-const var var::null;
-#endif
+JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (const var var::null);
 
 //==============================================================================
 var::var (const var& valueToCopy)  : type (valueToCopy.type)
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
index ca5d8c73d6..975c6781f0 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
@@ -274,17 +274,15 @@ public:
     */
     static var readFromStream (InputStream& input);
 
-   #if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-    /** This was a static empty var object, but is now deprecated as it's too easy to accidentally
-        use it indirectly during a static constructor, leading to hard-to-find order-of-initialisation
-        problems.
-        @deprecated If you need a default-constructed var, just use var() or {}.
-        The only time you might miss having var::null available might be if you need to return an
-        empty var from a function by reference, but if you need to do that, it's easy enough to use
-        a function-local static var and return that, avoiding any order-of-initialisation issues.
+    /* This was a static empty var object, but is now deprecated as it's too easy to accidentally
+       use it indirectly during a static constructor, leading to hard-to-find order-of-initialisation
+       problems.
+       @deprecated If you need a default-constructed var, just use var() or {}.
+       The only time you might miss having var::null available might be if you need to return an
+       empty var from a function by reference, but if you need to do that, it's easy enough to use
+       a function-local static var and return that, avoiding any order-of-initialisation issues.
     */
-    static const var null;
-   #endif
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const var null);
 
 private:
     //==============================================================================
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.cpp b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.cpp
index 6f3eb0b1ec..1bf3258964 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.cpp
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ File& File::operator= (File&& other) noexcept
     return *this;
 }
 
-#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-const File File::nonexistent;
-#endif
+JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (const File File::nonexistent);
 
 //==============================================================================
 static String removeEllipsis (const String& path)
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.h b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.h
index 7b55ca442c..5c11921964 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_File.h
@@ -1048,21 +1048,14 @@ public:
         bool foldersFirst;
     };
 
-   #if (! defined(DOXYGEN)) && (! defined (JUCE_GCC))
-    // Deprecated: use File::getSeparatorChar() and File::getSeparatorString() instead!
-    JUCE_DEPRECATED (static const juce_wchar separator);
-    JUCE_DEPRECATED (static const StringRef separatorString);
-   #endif
-
-    //==============================================================================
-   #if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-    /** This was a static empty File object, but is now deprecated as it's too easy to accidentally
-        use it indirectly during a static constructor, leading to hard-to-find order-of-initialisation
-        problems.
-        @deprecated If you need a default-constructed File object, just use File() or {}.
-    */
-    static const File nonexistent;
-   #endif
+    /* These static objects are deprecated because it's too easy to accidentally use them indirectly
+       during a static constructor, which leads to very obscure order-of-initialisation bugs.
+       Use File::getSeparatorChar() and File::getSeparatorString(), and instead of File::nonexistent,
+       just use File() or {}.
+    */
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const juce_wchar separator);
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const StringRef separatorString);
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const File nonexistent);
 
 private:
     //==============================================================================
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/system/juce_PlatformDefs.h b/modules/juce_core/system/juce_PlatformDefs.h
index 2c4940e24e..0666bccf3e 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/system/juce_PlatformDefs.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/system/juce_PlatformDefs.h
@@ -273,6 +273,28 @@ namespace juce
  #define JUCE_DEPRECATED_WITH_BODY(functionDef, body)   functionDef body
 #endif
 
+#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
+ #if ! (defined (DOXYGEN) || defined (JUCE_GCC) || (JUCE_MSVC && _MSC_VER <= 1900))
+  #define JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef)       JUCE_DEPRECATED (valueDef)
+
+  #if JUCE_MSVC
+   #define JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef) \
+        __pragma(warning(push)) \
+        __pragma(warning(disable:4996)) \
+         valueDef \
+        __pragma(warning(pop))
+  #else
+   #define JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef)   valueDef
+  #endif
+ #else
+  #define JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef)           valueDef
+  #define JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef)   valueDef
+ #endif
+#else
+ #define JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef)
+ #define JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC(valueDef)
+#endif
+
 //==============================================================================
 #if JUCE_ANDROID && ! DOXYGEN
  #define JUCE_MODAL_LOOPS_PERMITTED 0
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp
index ce93d7a9ff..88d530aec5 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp
@@ -235,9 +235,7 @@ private:
     }
 };
 
-#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-const String String::empty;
-#endif
+JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (const String String::empty);
 
 //==============================================================================
 String::String() noexcept  : text (&(emptyString.text))
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h
index ae5937ed06..a778be1ce5 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h
@@ -1239,8 +1239,7 @@ public:
     int getReferenceCount() const noexcept;
 
     //==============================================================================
-   #if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-    /** This was a static empty string object, but is now deprecated as it's too easy to accidentally
+    /*  This was a static empty string object, but is now deprecated as it's too easy to accidentally
         use it indirectly during a static constructor, leading to hard-to-find order-of-initialisation
         problems.
         @deprecated If you need an empty String object, just use String() or {}.
@@ -1248,8 +1247,7 @@ public:
         empty string from a function by reference, but if you need to do that, it's easy enough to use
         a function-local static String object and return that, avoiding any order-of-initialisation issues.
     */
-    static const String empty;
-   #endif
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const String empty);
 
 private:
     //==============================================================================
diff --git a/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.cpp b/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.cpp
index 803e3bf277..e40410d93f 100644
--- a/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.cpp
@@ -579,9 +579,7 @@ ValueTree::ValueTree() noexcept
 {
 }
 
-#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-const ValueTree ValueTree::invalid;
-#endif
+JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (const ValueTree ValueTree::invalid);
 
 ValueTree::ValueTree (const Identifier& type)  : object (new ValueTree::SharedObject (type))
 {
diff --git a/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.h b/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.h
index 70d0d3ffa3..b1cffbdae8 100644
--- a/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.h
+++ b/modules/juce_data_structures/values/juce_ValueTree.h
@@ -589,12 +589,10 @@ public:
     */
     int getReferenceCount() const noexcept;
 
-   #if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-    /** An invalid ValueTree that can be used if you need to return one as an error condition, etc.
+    /* An invalid ValueTree that can be used if you need to return one as an error condition, etc.
         @deprecated If you need an empty ValueTree object, just use ValueTree() or {}.
     */
-    static const ValueTree invalid;
-   #endif
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const ValueTree invalid);
 
 private:
     //==============================================================================
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.cpp
index 6a2574aa89..e1c6b3fd55 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.cpp
@@ -84,9 +84,7 @@ bool AffineTransform::isIdentity() const noexcept
         && mat11 == 1.0f;
 }
 
-#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-const AffineTransform AffineTransform::identity;
-#endif
+JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (const AffineTransform AffineTransform::identity);
 
 //==============================================================================
 AffineTransform AffineTransform::followedBy (const AffineTransform& other) const noexcept
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.h b/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.h
index fbf12291bc..e7461bc21f 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.h
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/geometry/juce_AffineTransform.h
@@ -270,12 +270,10 @@ public:
     */
     float getScaleFactor() const noexcept;
 
-   #if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-    /** A ready-to-use identity transform - now depracated.
-        @deprecated If you need an identity transform, just use AffineTransform() or {}.
+    /* A ready-to-use identity transform - now depracated.
+       @deprecated If you need an identity transform, just use AffineTransform() or {}.
     */
-    static const AffineTransform identity;
-   #endif
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const AffineTransform identity);
 
     //==============================================================================
     /* The transform matrix is:
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.cpp
index 51d828714e..6b478349b2 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.cpp
@@ -262,9 +262,7 @@ Image::~Image()
 {
 }
 
-#if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-const Image Image::null;
-#endif
+JUCE_DECLARE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (const Image Image::null);
 
 int Image::getReferenceCount() const noexcept           { return image == nullptr ? 0 : image->getSharedCount(); }
 int Image::getWidth() const noexcept                    { return image == nullptr ? 0 : image->width; }
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.h b/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.h
index a35440979c..74de5addf5 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.h
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/images/juce_Image.h
@@ -414,12 +414,10 @@ public:
     /** @internal */
     explicit Image (ImagePixelData*) noexcept;
 
-   #if JUCE_ALLOW_STATIC_NULL_VARIABLES
-    /** A null Image object that can be used when you need to return an invalid image.
+    /* A null Image object that can be used when you need to return an invalid image.
         @deprecated If you need a default-constructed var, just use Image() or {}.
     */
-    static const Image null;
-   #endif
+    JUCE_DEPRECATED_STATIC (static const Image null);
 
 private:
     //==============================================================================