diff --git a/docs/Makefile b/docs/Makefile
index 0412fb90a..a61c30182 100644
--- a/docs/Makefile
+++ b/docs/Makefile
@@ -11,20 +11,31 @@ EXAMPLES = $(wildcard mkdocs/docs/examples/*.cpp)
 
 cxx_standard = $(lastword c++11 $(filter c++%, $(subst ., ,$1)))
 
+# common compile flags for the stand-alone example files
+EXAMPLE_CPPFLAGS = -I $(SRCDIR) -DJSON_USE_GLOBAL_UDLS=0
+EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS = -Werror=deprecated-declarations
+
+# examples that document deprecated API and are allowed to use it
+DEPRECATED_EXAMPLES = $(addprefix mkdocs/docs/examples/, \
+	json_pointer__operator__equal_stringtype \
+	json_pointer__operator__notequal_stringtype \
+	json_pointer__operator_string_t)
+$(DEPRECATED_EXAMPLES:=.output) $(DEPRECATED_EXAMPLES:=.test): EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS = -Wno-deprecated-declarations
+
 # create output from a stand-alone example file
 %.output: %.cpp
-	@echo "standard $(call cxx_standard $(<:.cpp=))"
+	@echo "standard $(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=))"
 	$(MAKE) $(<:.cpp=) \
-		CPPFLAGS="-I $(SRCDIR) -DJSON_USE_GLOBAL_UDLS=0" \
-		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) -Wno-deprecated-declarations"
+		CPPFLAGS="$(EXAMPLE_CPPFLAGS)" \
+		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) $(EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS)"
 	./$(<:.cpp=) > $@
 	rm $(<:.cpp=)
 
 # compare created output with current output of the example files
 %.test: %.cpp
 	$(MAKE) $(<:.cpp=) \
-		CPPFLAGS="-I $(SRCDIR) -DJSON_USE_GLOBAL_UDLS=0" \
-		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) -Wno-deprecated-declarations"
+		CPPFLAGS="$(EXAMPLE_CPPFLAGS)" \
+		CXXFLAGS="-std=$(call cxx_standard,$(<:.cpp=)) $(EXAMPLE_WARNFLAGS)"
 	./$(<:.cpp=) > $@
 	diff $@ $(<:.cpp=.output)
 	rm $(<:.cpp=) $@