--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #define CONF_UPDATE_CONFIG_FILE "/etc/conf-update/conf-update.conf"
 
-struct configuration {
+extern struct configuration {
 	bool automerge_trivial;
 	bool automerge_unmodified;
 	bool check_actions;
--- a/helpers.c
+++ b/helpers.c
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@
 	}
 }
 void sanity_checks() {
-	extern struct configuration config;
 	unsigned int i;
 	FILE *pipe;
 	char *cmd = NULL;
--- a/core.c
+++ b/core.c
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@
 }
 
 int show_diff(char *update) {
-	extern struct configuration config;
 	char *realfile = get_real_filename(update);
 	char *esc_realfile = g_shell_quote(realfile);
 	char *esc_update = g_shell_quote(update);
@@ -98,7 +97,6 @@
 }
 
 int edit_update(char *update) {
-	extern struct configuration config;
 	char *esc_update = g_shell_quote(update);
 	char *cmd = calloc(strlen(config.edit_tool) + strlen("  ") + strlen(esc_update), sizeof(char));
 	int ret;
@@ -116,7 +114,6 @@
 char **merge_interactively(char *update, char **index) {
 	// customized versions are ._cfg????- with a minus instead of a underscore
 	// that way get_real_filename() works without modification
-	extern struct configuration config;
 	char *realfile = get_real_filename(update);
 	char *esc_realfile = g_shell_quote(realfile);
 	char *esc_update = g_shell_quote(update);
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "conf-update.h"
 
+struct configuration config;
+
 bool get_boolean(GKeyFile *conffile, const char *key, bool default_value) {
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	bool value, invalid_value, key_not_found;
@@ -26,7 +28,6 @@
 }
 
 void read_config() {
-	extern struct configuration config;
 	GKeyFile *conffile;
 	
 	// set reasonable defaults