diff --git a/ares/adig.c b/ares/adig.c
index 3a5c63efd..1eea3df69 100644
--- a/ares/adig.c
+++ b/ares/adig.c
@@ -53,11 +53,6 @@
 #define T_SRV 33 /* server selection */
 #endif
 
-#ifndef optind
-extern int optind;
-extern char *optarg;
-#endif
-
 struct nv {
   const char *name;
   int value;
diff --git a/ares/ahost.c b/ares/ahost.c
index dfb51a931..e381c1932 100644
--- a/ares/ahost.c
+++ b/ares/ahost.c
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@
 #include "inet_net_pton.h"
 #include "ares_getopt.h"
 
-#ifndef optind
-extern int   optind;
-extern char *optarg;
-#endif
-
 #ifndef HAVE_STRUCT_IN6_ADDR
 struct in6_addr
 {
diff --git a/ares/ares_getopt.c b/ares/ares_getopt.c
index c3e81fc40..3b565a49a 100644
--- a/ares/ares_getopt.c
+++ b/ares/ares_getopt.c
@@ -49,11 +49,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "ares_getopt.h"
 
-/* declarations to provide consistent linkage */
-extern char *optarg;
-extern int optind;
-extern int opterr;
-
 int   opterr = 1,     /* if error message should be printed */
       optind = 1,     /* index into parent argv vector */
       optopt,         /* character checked for validity */
diff --git a/ares/ares_getopt.h b/ares/ares_getopt.h
index e15dc6bfc..3dafaf38f 100644
--- a/ares/ares_getopt.h
+++ b/ares/ares_getopt.h
@@ -33,5 +33,9 @@
 
 int ares_getopt(int nargc, char * const nargv[], const char *ostr);
 
+extern char *optarg;
+extern int optind;
+extern int opterr;
+
 
 #endif /* ARES_GETOPT_H */