diff -urpN imlib-1.9.15.orig/config.h.in imlib-1.9.15/config.h.in
--- imlib-1.9.15.orig/config.h.in	2004-09-22 18:16:06.000000000 -0700
+++ imlib-1.9.15/config.h.in	2014-05-31 04:34:30.905578587 -0700
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #undef HAVE_LIBGIF
 
 /* */
+#undef HAVE_GIF_ERROR_STRING
+
+/* */
 #undef HAVE_LIBJPEG
 
 /* */
diff -urpN imlib-1.9.15.orig/configure.in imlib-1.9.15/configure.in
--- imlib-1.9.15.orig/configure.in	2004-09-22 18:13:45.000000000 -0700
+++ imlib-1.9.15/configure.in	2014-05-31 04:34:30.905578587 -0700
@@ -252,10 +252,15 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB(tiff, TIFFReadScanline,
 AC_CHECK_HEADER(gif_lib.h,
   [AC_CHECK_LIB(ungif, DGifOpenFileName,
     [GIFLIBS="-lungif"
-     SUPPORT_LIBS="$SUPPORT_LIBS -lungif"; AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBGIF, 1, [ ])],
+     SUPPORT_LIBS="$SUPPORT_LIBS -lungif"
+     AC_CHECK_LIB(ungif, GifErrorString,
+      [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_GIF_ERROR_STRING, 1, [ ])])
+     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBGIF, 1, [ ])],
     [AC_CHECK_LIB(gif, DGifOpenFileName,
       [GIFLIBS="-lgif"
       SUPPORT_LIBS="$SUPPORT_LIBS -lgif"
+       AC_CHECK_LIB(gif, GifErrorString,
+        [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_GIF_ERROR_STRING, 1, [ ])])
        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBGIF, 1, [ ])],
       [AC_MSG_ERROR(*** GIF library file not found ***)], 
       $GX_LIBS)],
diff -urpN imlib-1.9.15.orig/gdk_imlib/io-gif.c imlib-1.9.15/gdk_imlib/io-gif.c
--- imlib-1.9.15.orig/gdk_imlib/io-gif.c	2002-03-04 09:06:29.000000000 -0800
+++ imlib-1.9.15/gdk_imlib/io-gif.c	2014-05-31 04:36:21.528433675 -0700
@@ -10,6 +10,33 @@ unsigned char loader_gif (FILE *f, int *
 #else
 #include <gif_lib.h>
 
+// NB: relevant giflib error interfaces come in three flavors.
+// We might call them:
+//
+// ancient (upstream code is fine)
+// old -- giflib-4.2..giflib-5
+// new -- giflib 5+
+//
+// This ugly macro should smooth the ugly details out for all
+// three flavors.
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBGIF
+  #ifdef HAVE_GIF_ERROR_STRING
+    #if (GIFLIB_MAJOR >= 5)
+      #define GifError() (gif ? gif->Error : 0)
+      #define GifErrorString() GifErrorString(GifError())
+    #endif
+    #define myPrintGifError() \
+      do { \
+        const char* errorString = GifErrorString(); \
+        if (errorString != NULL) \
+          fprintf(stderr, "giflib: error: %s\n", errorString); \
+        else \
+          fprintf(stderr, "giflib: error (undefined): %d\n", GifError()); \
+      } while (0)
+  #else
+    #define myPrintGifError() PrintGifError()
+  #endif
+
 unsigned char      *
 loader_gif(FILE *f, int *w, int *h, int *t)
 {
@@ -43,14 +70,14 @@ loader_gif(FILE *f, int *w, int *h, int
     {
       if (DGifGetRecordType(gif, &rec) == GIF_ERROR)
 	{
-	  PrintGifError();
+	  myPrintGifError();
 	  rec = TERMINATE_RECORD_TYPE;
 	}
       if ((rec == IMAGE_DESC_RECORD_TYPE) && (!done))
 	{
 	  if (DGifGetImageDesc(gif) == GIF_ERROR)
 	    {
-	      PrintGifError();
+	      myPrintGifError();
 	      rec = TERMINATE_RECORD_TYPE;
 	    }
 	  *w = gif->Image.Width;
diff -urpN imlib-1.9.15.orig/Imlib/load.c imlib-1.9.15/Imlib/load.c
--- imlib-1.9.15.orig/Imlib/load.c	2004-09-20 17:23:20.000000000 -0700
+++ imlib-1.9.15/Imlib/load.c	2014-05-31 04:34:55.012329138 -0700
@@ -419,7 +419,37 @@ _LoadTIFF(ImlibData * id, FILE *f, char
 
 #endif /* HAVE_LIBTIFF */
 
+// NB: relevant giflib error interfaces come in three flavors.
+// We might call them:
+//
+// ancient (upstream code is fine)
+// old -- giflib-4.2..giflib-5
+// new -- giflib 5+
+//
+// This ugly macro should smooth the ugly details out for all
+// three flavors.
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBGIF
+  #ifdef HAVE_GIF_ERROR_STRING
+    #if (GIFLIB_MAJOR >= 5)
+      // new flavor: GifError{,String} are gone
+      #define GifError() (gif ? gif->Error : 0)
+      #define GifErrorString() GifErrorString(GifError())
+    #endif
+    // myPrintGifError here services the old and new
+    #define myPrintGifError() \
+      do { \
+        const char* errorString = GifErrorString(); \
+        if (errorString != NULL) \
+          fprintf(stderr, "giflib: error: %s\n", errorString); \
+        else \
+          fprintf(stderr, "giflib: error (undefined): %d\n", GifError()); \
+      } while (0)
+  #else
+    // in the ancient giflib interface PrintGifError does everything required, so
+    // so just make myPrintGifError a macro-alias for that.
+    #define myPrintGifError() PrintGifError()
+  #endif
+
 unsigned char      *
 _LoadGIF(ImlibData * id, FILE *f, int *w, int *h, int *t)
 {
@@ -451,14 +481,14 @@ _LoadGIF(ImlibData * id, FILE *f, int *w
     {
       if (DGifGetRecordType(gif, &rec) == GIF_ERROR)
 	{
-	  PrintGifError();
+	  myPrintGifError();
 	  rec = TERMINATE_RECORD_TYPE;
 	}
       if ((rec == IMAGE_DESC_RECORD_TYPE) && (!done))
 	{
 	  if (DGifGetImageDesc(gif) == GIF_ERROR)
 	    {
-	      PrintGifError();
+	      myPrintGifError();
 	      rec = TERMINATE_RECORD_TYPE;
 	    }
 	  *w = gif->Image.Width;