diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3bbe6c2..04de5c3 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ plugin_sources = files(
 )
 
 libs = []
+api_args = []
 p2p_args = []
 
 if host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('x86')
@@ -68,9 +69,16 @@ if meson.get_compiler('cpp').get_linker_id() in ['ld.bfd', 'ld.gold', 'ld.mold']
     link_args += ['-Wl,-Bsymbolic']
 endif
 
+if get_option('default_library') == 'static'
+    api_args += ['-DBSSHARED_API_STATIC']
+else
+    api_args += ['-DBSSHARED_API_BUILDING']
+endif
+
 libbestsource = library('libbestsource', api_sources,
     dependencies: deps,
     install: true,
+    cpp_args: api_args,
     link_args: link_args,
     link_with: libs,
     name_prefix: '',
diff --git a/src/bsshared.h b/src/bsshared.h
index 0959268..b894f2a 100644
--- a/src/bsshared.h
+++ b/src/bsshared.h
@@ -28,13 +28,33 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include <filesystem>
 
+#if (defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)) && !defined(BSSHARED_API_STATIC)
+#  define BSSHARED_API_EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
+#  define BSSHARED_API_IMPORT __declspec(dllimport)
+#elif defined(__OS2__) && !defined(BSSHARED_API_STATIC)
+#  define BSSHARED_API_EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
+#  define BSSHARED_API_IMPORT
+#elif __GNUC__ >= 4
+#  define BSSHARED_API_EXPORT __attribute__((visibility("default")))
+#  define BSSHARED_API_IMPORT __attribute__((visibility("default")))
+#else
+#  define BSSHARED_API_EXPORT
+#  define BSSHARED_API_IMPORT
+#endif
+
+#ifdef BSSHARED_API_BUILDING
+#  define BSSHARED_API BSSHARED_API_EXPORT
+#else
+#  define BSSHARED_API BSSHARED_API_IMPORT
+#endif
+
 constexpr size_t HashSize = 8;
 
-class BestSourceException : public std::runtime_error {
+class BSSHARED_API BestSourceException : public std::runtime_error {
     using std::runtime_error::runtime_error;
 };
 
-class BestSourceHWDecoderException : public BestSourceException {
+class BSSHARED_API BestSourceHWDecoderException : public BestSourceException {
     using BestSourceException::BestSourceException;
 };