diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index dbd8018b58..50d9eeaa9c 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1149,10 +1149,6 @@ struct config_include_data {
 #define CONFIG_INCLUDE_INIT { 0 }
 extern int git_config_include(const char *name, const char *value, void *data);
 
-#define IDENT_NAME_GIVEN 01
-#define IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN 02
-#define IDENT_ALL_GIVEN (IDENT_NAME_GIVEN|IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN)
-extern int user_ident_explicitly_given;
 extern int user_ident_sufficiently_given(void);
 
 extern const char *git_commit_encoding;
diff --git a/ident.c b/ident.c
index a4bf206e2f..733d69d92d 100644
--- a/ident.c
+++ b/ident.c
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
 static struct strbuf git_default_name = STRBUF_INIT;
 static struct strbuf git_default_email = STRBUF_INIT;
 static char git_default_date[50];
-int user_ident_explicitly_given;
+
+#define IDENT_NAME_GIVEN 01
+#define IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN 02
+#define IDENT_ALL_GIVEN (IDENT_NAME_GIVEN|IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN)
+static int user_ident_explicitly_given;
 
 #ifdef NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT
 #define get_gecos(ignored) "&"