diff --git a/drivers/base/base.h b/drivers/base/base.h
index a75c3025fb7886abca1349a3774d419dcd76d5a0..7a419a7a6235b166625bcc4216de79a66249188c 100644
--- a/drivers/base/base.h
+++ b/drivers/base/base.h
@@ -84,8 +84,6 @@ struct device_private {
 #define to_device_private_bus(obj)	\
 	container_of(obj, struct device_private, knode_bus)
 
-extern int device_private_init(struct device *dev);
-
 /* initialisation functions */
 extern int devices_init(void);
 extern int buses_init(void);
diff --git a/drivers/base/core.c b/drivers/base/core.c
index ceb8ce90aebb884ebaf470b86348b1cc8ce15ff1..9a6c71038616eb8e78154231edb8e1227e3e177f 100644
--- a/drivers/base/core.c
+++ b/drivers/base/core.c
@@ -1736,7 +1736,7 @@ static void device_remove_sys_dev_entry(struct device *dev)
 	}
 }
 
-int device_private_init(struct device *dev)
+static int device_private_init(struct device *dev)
 {
 	dev->p = kzalloc(sizeof(*dev->p), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!dev->p)