diff --git a/include/xlnt/cell/cell.hpp b/include/xlnt/cell/cell.hpp
index 2a25509d..9d45f496 100644
--- a/include/xlnt/cell/cell.hpp
+++ b/include/xlnt/cell/cell.hpp
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ public:
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the comment applied to this cell.
     /// </summary>
-    comment comment();
+    class comment comment();
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Apply the comment provided as the ony argument to the cell.
diff --git a/source/cell/cell.cpp b/source/cell/cell.cpp
index 034e3105..1206b77a 100644
--- a/source/cell/cell.cpp
+++ b/source/cell/cell.cpp
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ void cell::clear_comment()
     d_->comment_.clear();
 }
 
-comment cell::comment()
+class comment cell::comment()
 {
     if (!has_comment())
     {
diff --git a/source/cell/comment.cpp b/source/cell/comment.cpp
index ee557c92..40500034 100644
--- a/source/cell/comment.cpp
+++ b/source/cell/comment.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ std::string comment::author() const
     return author_;
 }
 
-bool operator==(const comment &left, const comment &right)
+XLNT_API bool operator==(const comment &left, const comment &right)
 {
     return left.text_ == right.text_ && left.author_ == right.author_;
 }