diff --git a/include/asterisk/options.h b/include/asterisk/options.h
index 3f7569ca1f..5b6ffe0ebf 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/options.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/options.h
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ extern pid_t ast_mainpid;
 extern char record_cache_dir[AST_CACHE_DIR_LEN];
 extern char debug_filename[AST_FILENAME_MAX];
 
+extern int ast_language_is_prefix;
+
 #if defined(__cplusplus) || defined(c_plusplus)
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/main/asterisk.c b/main/asterisk.c
index 056f21c8d0..86da7b17e6 100644
--- a/main/asterisk.c
+++ b/main/asterisk.c
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ int daemon(int, int);  /* defined in libresolv of all places */
  */
 /*! @{ */
 
-extern int ast_language_is_prefix;	/* XXX move to some header */
-
 struct ast_flags ast_options = { AST_DEFAULT_OPTIONS };
 
 int option_verbose = 0;				/*!< Verbosity level */
diff --git a/main/file.c b/main/file.c
index f67fbec29d..5311b3a43d 100644
--- a/main/file.c
+++ b/main/file.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ ASTERISK_FILE_VERSION(__FILE__, "$Revision$")
  * (i.e. en/digits/1.gsm, it/digits/1.gsm or default to digits/1.gsm).
  * The latter permits a language to be entirely in one directory.
  */
-int ast_language_is_prefix;
+int ast_language_is_prefix = 0;
 
 static AST_LIST_HEAD_STATIC(formats, ast_format);