diff --git a/vtysh/vtysh.c b/vtysh/vtysh.c
index dca5dafa84..f8493ae89b 100644
--- a/vtysh/vtysh.c
+++ b/vtysh/vtysh.c
@@ -305,7 +305,6 @@ static int vtysh_execute_func(const char *line, int pager)
 	int closepager = 0;
 	int tried = 0;
 	int saved_ret, saved_node;
-	extern int user_mode;
 
 	/* Split readline string up into the vector. */
 	vline = cmd_make_strvec(line);
diff --git a/vtysh/vtysh.h b/vtysh/vtysh.h
index 52a1a46105..9b21c3376a 100644
--- a/vtysh/vtysh.h
+++ b/vtysh/vtysh.h
@@ -100,4 +100,6 @@ extern int execute_flag;
 
 extern struct vty *vty;
 
+extern int user_mode;
+
 #endif /* VTYSH_H */
diff --git a/vtysh/vtysh_main.c b/vtysh/vtysh_main.c
index b5cc1d21d1..4de671b7fa 100644
--- a/vtysh/vtysh_main.c
+++ b/vtysh/vtysh_main.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static char history_file[MAXPATHLEN];
 int execute_flag = 0;
 
 /* Flag to indicate if in user/unprivileged mode. */
-int user_mode = 0;
+int user_mode;
 
 /* For sigsetjmp() & siglongjmp(). */
 static sigjmp_buf jmpbuf;
@@ -315,6 +315,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **env)
 	realgid = getgid();
 	suid_off();
 
+	user_mode = 0;		/* may be set in options processing */
+
 	/* Preserve name of myself. */
 	progname = ((p = strrchr(argv[0], '/')) ? ++p : argv[0]);
 
@@ -323,7 +325,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **env)
 
 	/* Option handling. */
 	while (1) {
-		opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "be:c:d:nf:mEhCwN:u", longopts, 0);
+		opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "be:c:d:nf:mEhCwN:u",
+				  longopts, 0);
 
 		if (opt == EOF)
 			break;