diff --git a/apps/apps.h b/apps/apps.h
index fc480e16c824f441fde3d1384e066762fb9c4f6d..7cf0dc4b6a662816d77dd13b41dcab681499bae9 100644
--- a/apps/apps.h
+++ b/apps/apps.h
@@ -445,6 +445,17 @@ typedef struct args_st {
     char **argv;
 } ARGS;
 
+#if defined(OPENSSL_SYS_VMS) && defined(__DECC)
+# pragma pointer_size save
+# pragma pointer_size 32
+typedef char **argv_t;
+# pragma pointer_size restore
+char **copy_argv(int *argc, argv_t argv);
+#else
+typedef char **argv_t;
+#endif
+
+
 # define PW_MIN_LENGTH 4
 typedef struct pw_cb_data {
     const void *password;
diff --git a/apps/openssl.c b/apps/openssl.c
index 2d9ddaa56b59dfa83d51b60e7b5e47ddca16d536..166c7a1e45b0bf9c1b610c75e8804206ba960cb9 100644
--- a/apps/openssl.c
+++ b/apps/openssl.c
@@ -207,15 +207,12 @@ static char *make_config_name()
     return p;
 }
 
-#if defined( OPENSSL_SYS_VMS)
-extern char **copy_argv(int *argc, char **argv);
-#endif
-
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     FUNCTION f, *fp;
     LHASH_OF(FUNCTION) *prog = NULL;
     char **copied_argv = NULL;
+    char **argv_alias  = NULL;
     char *p, *pname;
     char buf[1024];
     const char *prompt;
@@ -231,8 +228,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     bio_out = dup_bio_out(FORMAT_TEXT);
     bio_err = dup_bio_err(FORMAT_TEXT);
 
-#if defined( OPENSSL_SYS_VMS)
-    copied_argv = argv = copy_argv(&argc, argv);
+#if defined( OPENSSL_SYS_VMS) && defined(__DECC)
+    copied_argv = argv_alias = copy_argv(&argc, argv);
+#else
+    argv_alias = argv;
 #endif
 
     p = getenv("OPENSSL_DEBUG_MEMORY");
@@ -256,22 +255,22 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         goto end;
 
     prog = prog_init();
-    pname = opt_progname(argv[0]);
+    pname = opt_progname(argv_alias[0]);
 
     /* first check the program name */
     f.name = pname;
     fp = lh_FUNCTION_retrieve(prog, &f);
     if (fp != NULL) {
-        argv[0] = pname;
-        ret = fp->func(argc, argv);
+        argv_alias[0] = pname;
+        ret = fp->func(argc, argv_alias);
         goto end;
     }
 
     /* If there is stuff on the command line, run with that. */
     if (argc != 1) {
         argc--;
-        argv++;
-        ret = do_cmd(prog, argc, argv);
+        argv_alias++;
+        ret = do_cmd(prog, argc, argv_alias);
         if (ret < 0)
             ret = 0;
         goto end;
diff --git a/apps/vms_decc_init.c b/apps/vms_decc_init.c
index b66c00ffd1fcdc4be9b731962758642e90dafe9c..8f8ffc6753214e66fc5fd48d363e308e549c3961 100644
--- a/apps/vms_decc_init.c
+++ b/apps/vms_decc_init.c
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ decc_feat_t decc_feat_array[] = {
     {(char *)NULL, 0}
 };
 
-char **copy_argv(int *argc, char *argv[])
+
+char **copy_argv(int *argc, argv_t argv)
 {
     /*-
      * The note below is for historical purpose.  On VMS now we always