diff --git a/src/lib/grab.c b/src/lib/grab.c
index 39017dd..41d0ff4 100644
--- a/src/lib/grab.c
+++ b/src/lib/grab.c
@@ -532,7 +532,6 @@ __imlib_GrabDrawableToRGBA(DATA32 * data, int ox, int oy, int ow, int oh,
    int                 width, height, clipx, clipy;
    XShmSegmentInfo     shminfo, mshminfo;
    XImage             *xim, *mxim;
-   static signed char  x_does_shm = -1;
    XColor              cols[256];
 
    domask = (pdomask) ? *pdomask : 0;
diff --git a/src/lib/ximage.c b/src/lib/ximage.c
index daa3059..ece1635 100644
--- a/src/lib/ximage.c
+++ b/src/lib/ximage.c
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@
 #include <sys/shm.h>
 #include "ximage.h"
 
+/* global flags */
+signed char         x_does_shm = -1;
+
 /* static private variables */
-static signed char  x_does_shm = -1;
 static int          list_num = 0;
 static XImage     **list_xim = NULL;
 static XShmSegmentInfo **list_si = NULL;
diff --git a/src/lib/ximage.h b/src/lib/ximage.h
index a690f71..ff3cf36 100644
--- a/src/lib/ximage.h
+++ b/src/lib/ximage.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/XShm.h>
 
+__hidden signed char x_does_shm;
+
 void                __imlib_SetMaxXImageCount(Display * d, int num);
 __hidden int        __imlib_GetMaxXImageCount(Display * d);
 __hidden void       __imlib_SetMaxXImageTotalSize(Display * d, int num);