diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
index 1ade72bfae0f01eb24c68c1f430990567b8cc272..a2ec0171363a6b7505566bf3740d700f9f26d037 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ struct ipmi_user {
 	struct work_struct remove_work;
 };
 
-struct workqueue_struct *remove_work_wq;
+static struct workqueue_struct *remove_work_wq;
 
 static struct ipmi_user *acquire_ipmi_user(struct ipmi_user *user, int *index)
 	__acquires(user->release_barrier)