diff --git a/drivers/net/Space.c b/drivers/net/Space.c
index 602ed31a5dd9309e2b9b66cf9684cb654007f9fc..9305eb9b1b98fde55e17e580f7997b2ea77129b6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/Space.c
+++ b/drivers/net/Space.c
@@ -349,22 +349,11 @@ static void __init trif_probe2(int unit)
 #endif
 
 
-/*
- *	The loopback device is global so it can be directly referenced
- *	by the network code. Also, it must be first on device list.
- */
-extern int loopback_init(void);
-
 /*  Statically configured drivers -- order matters here. */
 static int __init net_olddevs_init(void)
 {
 	int num;
 
-	if (loopback_init()) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "Network loopback device setup failed\n");
-	}
-
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_SBNI
 	for (num = 0; num < 8; ++num)
 		sbni_probe(num);
diff --git a/drivers/net/loopback.c b/drivers/net/loopback.c
index 82c10dec1b5ac9d739578aa4d4874573d4ad11c4..2b739fd584f1ff9042d9034548a5740f84c6aed0 100644
--- a/drivers/net/loopback.c
+++ b/drivers/net/loopback.c
@@ -229,9 +229,11 @@ struct net_device loopback_dev = {
 };
 
 /* Setup and register the loopback device. */
-int __init loopback_init(void)
+static int __init loopback_init(void)
 {
 	return register_netdev(&loopback_dev);
 };
 
+module_init(loopback_init);
+
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(loopback_dev);