diff --git a/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/assert.h b/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/assert.h
index 67395dc7095d6..8156eaa5edb3d 100644
--- a/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/assert.h
+++ b/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/assert.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 
 // Must not be guarded. C++ standard says the macro assert is redefined
-// according to the current state of NDEBUG each time that <cassert> is
+// according to the current state of NDEBUG each time that <assert.h> is
 // included.
 
 #if defined(__has_include_next)
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <../ucrt/assert.h>
 #endif
 
+extern "C++" {
 #ifdef __SYCL_DEVICE_ONLY__
 #include <CL/__spirv/spirv_vars.hpp>
 
@@ -42,3 +43,4 @@ __devicelib_assert_fail(const char *, const char *, int32_t, const char *,
 #endif
 #endif
 #endif
+}
diff --git a/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/cassert b/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/cassert
index f91cf8b632984..64eb839582652 100644
--- a/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/cassert
+++ b/sycl/include/sycl/stl_wrappers/cassert
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <../include/cassert>
 #endif
 
+extern "C++" {
 #ifdef __SYCL_DEVICE_ONLY__
 #include <CL/__spirv/spirv_vars.hpp>
 
@@ -42,3 +43,4 @@ __devicelib_assert_fail(const char *, const char *, int32_t, const char *,
 #endif
 #endif
 #endif
+}
diff --git a/sycl/test/basic_tests/assert_header_with_c_linkage.cpp b/sycl/test/basic_tests/assert_header_with_c_linkage.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c5a81d9730134
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sycl/test/basic_tests/assert_header_with_c_linkage.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// RUN: %clangxx -fsycl -DASSERT -fsyntax-only %s
+// RUN: %clangxx -fsycl -DCASSERT -fsyntax-only %s
+
+// Verify that compilation works when assert.h/cassert is wrapped by a C linkage
+// specification.
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+#if defined(ASSERT)
+#include <assert.h>
+#elif defined(CASSERT)
+#include <cassert>
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif