diff --git a/include/msgpack/adaptor/boost/msgpack_variant.hpp b/include/msgpack/adaptor/boost/msgpack_variant.hpp
index 66aaee8b..07d1218a 100644
--- a/include/msgpack/adaptor/boost/msgpack_variant.hpp
+++ b/include/msgpack/adaptor/boost/msgpack_variant.hpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ namespace type {
 template <typename STR, typename BIN, typename EXT>
 struct basic_variant :
     boost::variant<
-        nil,               // NIL
+        nil_t,             // NIL
         bool,              // BOOL
         int64_t,           // NEGATIVE_INTEGER
         uint64_t,          // POSITIVE_INTEGER
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ struct basic_variant :
     >,
     private boost::totally_ordered<basic_variant<STR, BIN, EXT> > {
     typedef boost::variant<
-        nil,               // NIL
+        nil_t,             // NIL
         bool,              // BOOL
         int64_t,           // NEGATIVE_INTEGER
         uint64_t,          // POSITIVE_INTEGER
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ struct basic_variant :
     basic_variant(unsigned long long v):base(uint64_t(v)) {}
 
     bool is_nil() const {
-        return boost::get<nil>(this);
+        return boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(this);
     }
     bool is_bool() const {
         return boost::get<bool>(this);
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ struct as<msgpack::type::basic_variant<STR, BIN, EXT> > {
     msgpack::type::basic_variant<STR, BIN, EXT> operator()(msgpack::object const& o) const {
         switch(o.type) {
         case type::NIL:
-            return o.as<msgpack::type::nil>();
+            return o.as<msgpack::type::nil_t>();
         case type::BOOLEAN:
             return o.as<bool>();
         case type::POSITIVE_INTEGER:
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ struct convert<msgpack::type::basic_variant<STR, BIN, EXT> > {
         msgpack::type::basic_variant<STR, BIN, EXT>& v) const {
         switch(o.type) {
         case type::NIL:
-            v = o.as<msgpack::type::nil>();
+            v = o.as<msgpack::type::nil_t>();
             break;
         case type::BOOLEAN:
             v = o.as<bool>();
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ struct pack<msgpack::type::basic_variant<STR, BIN, EXT> > {
 namespace detail {
 
 struct object_imp : boost::static_visitor<void> {
-    void operator()(msgpack::type::nil const& v) const {
-        object<msgpack::type::nil>()(o_, v);
+    void operator()(msgpack::type::nil_t const& v) const {
+        object<msgpack::type::nil_t>()(o_, v);
     }
     void operator()(bool const& v) const {
         object<bool>()(o_, v);
diff --git a/include/msgpack/adaptor/nil.hpp b/include/msgpack/adaptor/nil.hpp
index fb507cc4..e7f93d10 100644
--- a/include/msgpack/adaptor/nil.hpp
+++ b/include/msgpack/adaptor/nil.hpp
@@ -21,13 +21,19 @@ MSGPACK_API_VERSION_NAMESPACE(v1) {
 
 namespace type {
 
-struct nil { };
+struct nil_t { };
 
-inline bool operator<(nil const& lhs, nil const& rhs) {
+#if defined(MSGPACK_USE_LEGACY_NIL)
+
+typedef nil_t nil;
+
+#endif // defined(MSGPACK_USE_LEGACY_NIL)
+
+inline bool operator<(nil_t const& lhs, nil_t const& rhs) {
     return &lhs < &rhs;
 }
 
-inline bool operator==(nil const& lhs, nil const& rhs) {
+inline bool operator==(nil_t const& lhs, nil_t const& rhs) {
     return &lhs == &rhs;
 }
 
@@ -36,32 +42,32 @@ inline bool operator==(nil const& lhs, nil const& rhs) {
 namespace adaptor {
 
 template <>
-struct convert<type::nil> {
-    msgpack::object const& operator()(msgpack::object const& o, type::nil&) const {
+struct convert<type::nil_t> {
+    msgpack::object const& operator()(msgpack::object const& o, type::nil_t&) const {
         if(o.type != msgpack::type::NIL) { throw msgpack::type_error(); }
         return o;
     }
 };
 
 template <>
-struct pack<type::nil> {
+struct pack<type::nil_t> {
     template <typename Stream>
-    msgpack::packer<Stream>& operator()(msgpack::packer<Stream>& o, const type::nil&) const {
+    msgpack::packer<Stream>& operator()(msgpack::packer<Stream>& o, const type::nil_t&) const {
         o.pack_nil();
         return o;
     }
 };
 
 template <>
-struct object<type::nil> {
-    void operator()(msgpack::object& o, type::nil) const {
+struct object<type::nil_t> {
+    void operator()(msgpack::object& o, type::nil_t) const {
         o.type = msgpack::type::NIL;
     }
 };
 
 template <>
-struct object_with_zone<type::nil> {
-    void operator()(msgpack::object::with_zone& o, type::nil v) const {
+struct object_with_zone<type::nil_t> {
+    void operator()(msgpack::object::with_zone& o, type::nil_t v) const {
         static_cast<msgpack::object&>(o) << v;
     }
 };
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@ struct object_with_zone<type::nil> {
 template <>
 inline void msgpack::object::as<void>() const
 {
-    msgpack::type::nil v;
+    msgpack::type::nil_t v;
     convert(v);
 }
 
diff --git a/test/boost_variant.cpp b/test/boost_variant.cpp
index f8d2e8b8..8d34ebf7 100644
--- a/test/boost_variant.cpp
+++ b/test/boost_variant.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const double kEPS = 1e-10;
 TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, pack_convert_variant_nil)
 {
     std::stringstream ss;
-    msgpack::type::variant val1 = msgpack::type::nil();
+    msgpack::type::variant val1 = msgpack::type::nil_t();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val1.is_nil());
     msgpack::pack(ss, val1);
 
@@ -25,28 +25,28 @@ TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, pack_convert_variant_nil)
     msgpack::unpack(ret, ss.str().data(), ss.str().size());
     msgpack::type::variant val2 = ret.get().as<msgpack::type::variant>();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val2.is_nil());
-    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil>(val2));
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(val2));
 }
 
 TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, object_variant_nil)
 {
-    msgpack::type::variant val1 = msgpack::type::nil();
+    msgpack::type::variant val1 = msgpack::type::nil_t();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val1.is_nil());
     msgpack::object obj(val1);
     msgpack::type::variant val2 = obj.as<msgpack::type::variant>();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val2.is_nil());
-    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil>(val2));
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(val2));
 }
 
 TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, object_with_zone_variant_nil)
 {
     msgpack::zone z;
-    msgpack::type::variant val1 = msgpack::type::nil();
+    msgpack::type::variant val1 = msgpack::type::nil_t();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val1.is_nil());
     msgpack::object obj(val1, z);
     msgpack::type::variant val2 = obj.as<msgpack::type::variant>();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val2.is_nil());
-    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil>(val2));
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(val2));
 }
 
 // nil (default constructor)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, pack_convert_variant_nil_default)
     msgpack::unpack(ret, ss.str().data(), ss.str().size());
     msgpack::type::variant val2 = ret.get().as<msgpack::type::variant>();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val2.is_nil());
-    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil>(val2));
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(val2));
 }
 
 TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, object_variant_nil_default)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, object_variant_nil_default)
     msgpack::object obj(val1);
     msgpack::type::variant val2 = obj.as<msgpack::type::variant>();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val2.is_nil());
-    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil>(val2));
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(val2));
 }
 
 TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, object_with_zone_variant_nil_default)
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ TEST(MSGPACK_BOOST, object_with_zone_variant_nil_default)
     msgpack::object obj(val1, z);
     msgpack::type::variant val2 = obj.as<msgpack::type::variant>();
     EXPECT_TRUE(val2.is_nil());
-    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil>(val2));
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(boost::get<msgpack::type::nil_t>(val2));
 }
 
 // bool