http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=55425
--- Comment #3 from Jakub Jelinek <jakub at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-11-21 12:40:29 UTC --- 1) is not valid constexpr IMHO, as the standard says that __func__ works as if static const char __func__[] = "function-name"; has been provided, but when it is provided, it is not valid constexpr. 2) I don't see why you think you could use something like this at all. You are defining a non-constexpr operator "", so str there definitely isn't pointer to a string literal, it is a standalone function that might be inlined if the inliner choses so. So it is obvious the static_assert which must be evaluated before the optimizations, without depending on whether the function is inlined or not, must fail. You want something like: constexpr int cstrlen (const char *c) { return *c ? cstrlen (c + 1) + 1 : 0; } constexpr unsigned int bin_number (const char *c) { return *c ? (*c == '1' ? (1U << cstrlen (c + 1)) : *c == '0' ? 0 : throw 0) + bin_number (c + 1) : 0; } constexpr unsigned int operator"" _bin (const char *c) { return bin_number (c); } int main () { constexpr unsigned int a = 10000_bin; (void) a; return 0; } instead, then you can verify it the same at compile time.