diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp
index 216a8bcc92..c0c6c178f8 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ It is possible to alternate error processing by using #redirectError().
 @param exc the exception raisen.
 @deprecated drop this version
  */
-CV_EXPORTS void error( const Exception& exc );
+CV_EXPORTS CV_NORETURN void error(const Exception& exc);
 
 enum SortFlags { SORT_EVERY_ROW    = 0, //!< each matrix row is sorted independently
                  SORT_EVERY_COLUMN = 1, //!< each matrix column is sorted
diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/base.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/base.hpp
index f6bc601492..710524df7b 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/base.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/base.hpp
@@ -373,32 +373,7 @@ It is possible to alternate error processing by using redirectError().
 @param _line - line number in the source file where the error has occurred
 @see CV_Error, CV_Error_, CV_Assert, CV_DbgAssert
  */
-CV_EXPORTS void error(int _code, const String& _err, const char* _func, const char* _file, int _line);
-
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-# if defined __clang__ || defined __APPLE__
-#   pragma GCC diagnostic push
-#   pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Winvalid-noreturn"
-# endif
-#endif
-
-/** same as cv::error, but does not return */
-CV_INLINE CV_NORETURN void errorNoReturn(int _code, const String& _err, const char* _func, const char* _file, int _line)
-{
-    error(_code, _err, _func, _file, _line);
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-# if !defined __clang__ && !defined __APPLE__
-    // this suppresses this warning: "noreturn" function does return [enabled by default]
-    __builtin_trap();
-    // or use infinite loop: for (;;) {}
-# endif
-#endif
-}
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-# if defined __clang__ || defined __APPLE__
-#   pragma GCC diagnostic pop
-# endif
-#endif
+CV_EXPORTS CV_NORETURN void error(int _code, const String& _err, const char* _func, const char* _file, int _line);
 
 #if defined __GNUC__
 #define CV_Func __func__
@@ -446,25 +421,19 @@ for example:
 
 #define CV_Assert_1( expr ) if(!!(expr)) ; else cv::error( cv::Error::StsAssert, #expr, CV_Func, __FILE__, __LINE__ )
 
+#endif // CV_STATIC_ANALYSIS
+
 //! @cond IGNORED
-#define CV__ErrorNoReturn( code, msg ) cv::errorNoReturn( code, msg, CV_Func, __FILE__, __LINE__ )
-#define CV__ErrorNoReturn_( code, args ) cv::errorNoReturn( code, cv::format args, CV_Func, __FILE__, __LINE__ )
-#ifdef __OPENCV_BUILD
-#undef CV_Error
-#define CV_Error CV__ErrorNoReturn
-#undef CV_Error_
-#define CV_Error_ CV__ErrorNoReturn_
-#undef CV_Assert_1
-#define CV_Assert_1( expr ) if(!!(expr)) ; else cv::errorNoReturn( cv::Error::StsAssert, #expr, CV_Func, __FILE__, __LINE__ )
-#else
-// backward compatibility
-#define CV_ErrorNoReturn CV__ErrorNoReturn
-#define CV_ErrorNoReturn_ CV__ErrorNoReturn_
+#if !defined(__OPENCV_BUILD)  // TODO: backward compatibility only
+#ifndef CV_ErrorNoReturn
+#define CV_ErrorNoReturn CV_Error
+#endif
+#ifndef CV_ErrorNoReturn_
+#define CV_ErrorNoReturn_ CV_Error_
+#endif
 #endif
 //! @endcond
 
-#endif // CV_STATIC_ANALYSIS
-
 #define CV_Assert_2( expr1, expr2 ) CV_Assert_1(expr1); CV_Assert_1(expr2)
 #define CV_Assert_3( expr1, expr2, expr3 ) CV_Assert_2(expr1, expr2); CV_Assert_1(expr3)
 #define CV_Assert_4( expr1, expr2, expr3, expr4 ) CV_Assert_3(expr1, expr2, expr3); CV_Assert_1(expr4)
diff --git a/modules/core/src/check.cpp b/modules/core/src/check.cpp
index 966d2cad20..a214201196 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/check.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/check.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ void check_failed_auto_(const T& v1, const T& v2, const CheckContext& ctx)
         ss << "must be " << getTestOpPhraseStr(ctx.testOp) << std::endl;
     }
     ss  << "    '" << ctx.p2_str << "' is " << v2;
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
 }
 void check_failed_MatDepth(const int v1, const int v2, const CheckContext& ctx)
 {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ void check_failed_MatDepth(const int v1, const int v2, const CheckContext& ctx)
         ss << "must be " << getTestOpPhraseStr(ctx.testOp) << std::endl;
     }
     ss  << "    '" << ctx.p2_str << "' is " << v2 << " (" << depthToString(v2) << ")";
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
 }
 void check_failed_MatType(const int v1, const int v2, const CheckContext& ctx)
 {
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ void check_failed_MatType(const int v1, const int v2, const CheckContext& ctx)
         ss << "must be " << getTestOpPhraseStr(ctx.testOp) << std::endl;
     }
     ss  << "    '" << ctx.p2_str << "' is " << v2 << " (" << typeToString(v2) << ")";
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
 }
 void check_failed_MatChannels(const int v1, const int v2, const CheckContext& ctx)
 {
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ void check_failed_auto_(const T& v, const CheckContext& ctx)
         << "    '" << ctx.p2_str << "'" << std::endl
         << "where" << std::endl
         << "    '" << ctx.p1_str << "' is " << v;
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
 }
 void check_failed_MatDepth(const int v, const CheckContext& ctx)
 {
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ void check_failed_MatDepth(const int v, const CheckContext& ctx)
         << "    '" << ctx.p2_str << "'" << std::endl
         << "where" << std::endl
         << "    '" << ctx.p1_str << "' is " << v << " (" << depthToString(v) << ")";
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
 }
 void check_failed_MatType(const int v, const CheckContext& ctx)
 {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void check_failed_MatType(const int v, const CheckContext& ctx)
         << "    '" << ctx.p2_str << "'" << std::endl
         << "where" << std::endl
         << "    '" << ctx.p1_str << "' is " << v << " (" << typeToString(v) << ")";
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, ss.str(), ctx.func, ctx.file, ctx.line);
 }
 void check_failed_MatChannels(const int v, const CheckContext& ctx)
 {
diff --git a/modules/core/src/opengl.cpp b/modules/core/src/opengl.cpp
index 08cfb4ed90..ff9da998bf 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/opengl.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/opengl.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ inline static bool checkError(const char* file, const int line, const char* func
         default:
             msg = "Unknown error";
         };
-        cv::errorNoReturn(Error::OpenGlApiCallError, func, msg, file, line);
+        cv::error(Error::OpenGlApiCallError, func, msg, file, line);
     }
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp b/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp
index 9b67a97e80..6fbad8b72f 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/persistence.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void icvParseError( CvFileStorage* fs, const char* func_name,
                const char* err_msg, const char* source_file, int source_line )
 {
     cv::String msg = cv::format("%s(%d): %s", fs->filename, fs->lineno, err_msg);
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsParseError, func_name, msg.c_str(), source_file, source_line );
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsParseError, func_name, msg.c_str(), source_file, source_line );
 }
 
 void icvFSCreateCollection( CvFileStorage* fs, int tag, CvFileNode* collection )
diff --git a/modules/core/src/system.cpp b/modules/core/src/system.cpp
index 0569924aee..f1a837064e 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/system.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/system.cpp
@@ -970,6 +970,13 @@ static void cv_terminate_handler() {
 
 #endif
 
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+# if defined __clang__ || defined __APPLE__
+#   pragma GCC diagnostic push
+#   pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Winvalid-noreturn"
+# endif
+#endif
+
 void error( const Exception& exc )
 {
 #ifdef CV_ERROR_SET_TERMINATE_HANDLER
@@ -1000,13 +1007,33 @@ void error( const Exception& exc )
     }
 
     CV_THROW(exc);
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+# if !defined __clang__ && !defined __APPLE__
+    // this suppresses this warning: "noreturn" function does return [enabled by default]
+    __builtin_trap();
+    // or use infinite loop: for (;;) {}
+# endif
+#endif
 }
 
 void error(int _code, const String& _err, const char* _func, const char* _file, int _line)
 {
     error(cv::Exception(_code, _err, _func, _file, _line));
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+# if !defined __clang__ && !defined __APPLE__
+    // this suppresses this warning: "noreturn" function does return [enabled by default]
+    __builtin_trap();
+    // or use infinite loop: for (;;) {}
+# endif
+#endif
 }
 
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+# if defined __clang__ || defined __APPLE__
+#   pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+# endif
+#endif
+
 
 ErrorCallback
 redirectError( ErrorCallback errCallback, void* userdata, void** prevUserdata)
diff --git a/modules/dnn/include/opencv2/dnn/dnn.inl.hpp b/modules/dnn/include/opencv2/dnn/dnn.inl.hpp
index 4231896187..d2317fc44e 100644
--- a/modules/dnn/include/opencv2/dnn/dnn.inl.hpp
+++ b/modules/dnn/include/opencv2/dnn/dnn.inl.hpp
@@ -274,11 +274,7 @@ inline int DictValue::size() const
     case Param::REAL:
         return (int)pd->size();
     }
-#ifdef __OPENCV_BUILD
     CV_Error(Error::StsInternal, "");
-#else
-    CV_ErrorNoReturn(Error::StsInternal, "");
-#endif
 }
 
 inline std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &stream, const DictValue &dictv)
diff --git a/modules/highgui/src/window.cpp b/modules/highgui/src/window.cpp
index 663b4458fc..7bc9d432c3 100644
--- a/modules/highgui/src/window.cpp
+++ b/modules/highgui/src/window.cpp
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ void cv::setWindowTitle(const String&, const String&)
 }
 
 #define CV_NO_GUI_ERROR(funcname) \
-    cv::errorNoReturn(cv::Error::StsError, \
+    cv::error(cv::Error::StsError, \
     "The function is not implemented. " \
     "Rebuild the library with Windows, GTK+ 2.x or Carbon support. "\
     "If you are on Ubuntu or Debian, install libgtk2.0-dev and pkg-config, then re-run cmake or configure script", \