diff --git a/fs/orangefs/devorangefs-req.c b/fs/orangefs/devorangefs-req.c
index 6779cb7b747e3f700d4437667a9b8a6fe3534189..a5c76583dffa58141a6b1b244eb58e5220e1a8f1 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/devorangefs-req.c
+++ b/fs/orangefs/devorangefs-req.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 static int open_access_count;
 
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(devreq_mutex);
+
 #define DUMP_DEVICE_ERROR()                                                   \
 do {                                                                          \
 	gossip_err("*****************************************************\n");\
diff --git a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h
index 67d391c85465bc7cb2a460eef42c7b8112ebf860..e1b50a11bc5f5f872092a7cd92f38d0b69f71019 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h
+++ b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h
@@ -510,7 +510,6 @@ bool orangefs_cancel_op_in_progress(struct orangefs_kernel_op_s *op);
 
 int orangefs_normalize_to_errno(__s32 error_code);
 
-extern struct mutex devreq_mutex;
 extern struct mutex request_mutex;
 extern int debug;
 extern int op_timeout_secs;
diff --git a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c
index 0028c60a46c73ad416f9749d2cf78387b883aa38..e37853c783612a7e54399109603e2f2c9d0e4882 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c
+++ b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c
@@ -54,9 +54,6 @@ module_param(module_parm_debug_mask, ulong, 0644);
 module_param(op_timeout_secs, int, 0);
 module_param(slot_timeout_secs, int, 0);
 
-/* synchronizes the request device file */
-DEFINE_MUTEX(devreq_mutex);
-
 /*
  * Blocks non-priority requests from being queued for servicing.  This
  * could be used for protecting the request list data structure, but