diff --git a/common/nullptr.hh b/common/nullptr.hh
index de6ddbd167fc4b29bdba34526af70dcc2b71003b..e75000ed2b9f3b90b5d27d7e823ff0eabb6cd665 100644
--- a/common/nullptr.hh
+++ b/common/nullptr.hh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
    http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2007/n2431.pdf
  */
 const                        // this is a const object...
-class nullptr_t {            // of type nullptr_t
+class dune_nullptr_t {            // of type nullptr_t
 public:
   template<class T>          // convertible to any type
   operator T*() const        // of null non-member
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ private:
   void operator&() const;    // whose address can't be taken
 } nullptr = {};              // and whose name is nullptr
 
+typedef dune_nullptr_t nullptr_t;
+
 #endif // HAVE_NULLPTR
 
 #endif // DUNE_NULLPTR_HH