diff --git a/src/rc/checkpath.c b/src/rc/checkpath.c
index 51780329..9352535b 100644
--- a/src/rc/checkpath.c
+++ b/src/rc/checkpath.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 #include "einfo.h"
 #include "rc-misc.h"
 
-static const char *applet;
+extern const char *applet;
 
 static int do_check (char *path, uid_t uid, gid_t gid, mode_t mode, int file)
 {
@@ -188,8 +188,6 @@ int checkpath (int argc, char **argv)
 	bool file = 0;
 	int retval = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
-	applet = basename_c (argv[0]);
-
 	while ((opt = getopt_long (argc, argv, getoptstring,
 				   longopts, (int *) 0)) != -1)
 	{
diff --git a/src/rc/fstabinfo.c b/src/rc/fstabinfo.c
index 446f9bee..98d16fdf 100644
--- a/src/rc/fstabinfo.c
+++ b/src/rc/fstabinfo.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static struct mntent *getmntfile (const char *file)
 }
 #endif
 
-static const char *applet = NULL;
+extern const char *applet;
 
 #include "_usage.h"
 #define getoptstring "bmop:t:" getoptstring_COMMON
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ int fstabinfo (int argc, char **argv)
 	char *file;
 	bool filtered = false;
 
-	applet = basename_c (argv[0]);
-
 	/* Ensure that we are only quiet when explicitly told to be */
 	unsetenv ("EINFO_QUIET");
 
diff --git a/src/rc/mountinfo.c b/src/rc/mountinfo.c
index b15a50a3..e48c62ad 100644
--- a/src/rc/mountinfo.c
+++ b/src/rc/mountinfo.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 #include "rc-misc.h"
 #include "strlist.h"
 
-static const char *applet;
+extern const char *applet;
 
 typedef enum {
 	mount_from,
diff --git a/src/rc/rc-depend.c b/src/rc/rc-depend.c
index 0bb4c213..d4ce8317 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc-depend.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc-depend.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 #include "rc-misc.h"
 #include "strlist.h"
 
-static const char *applet;
+extern const char *applet;
 
 rc_depinfo_t *_rc_deptree_load (int *regen) {
 	if (rc_deptree_update_needed ()) {
@@ -96,8 +96,6 @@ int rc_depend (int argc, char **argv)
 	int opt;
 	char *token;
 
-	applet = basename_c (argv[0]);
-
 	while ((opt = getopt_long (argc, argv, getoptstring,
 				   longopts, (int *) 0)) != -1)
 	{
diff --git a/src/rc/rc-status.c b/src/rc/rc-status.c
index 9d73adb3..d6cefd7c 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc-status.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc-status.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 #include "rc-misc.h"
 #include "strlist.h"
 
-static const char *applet;
+extern const char *applet;
 
 static const char *const types_nua[] = { "ineed", "iuse", "iafter", NULL };
 
diff --git a/src/rc/rc-update.c b/src/rc/rc-update.c
index 38d4242d..1aefbc64 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc-update.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc-update.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 #include "rc-misc.h"
 #include "strlist.h"
 
-static const char *applet = NULL;
+extern const char *applet;
 
 /* Return the number of changes made:
  *  -1 = no changes (error)
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ int rc_update (int argc, char **argv)
 	int opt;
 	int retval = EXIT_FAILURE;
 
-	applet = basename_c (argv[0]);
-
 	while ((opt = getopt_long (argc, argv, getoptstring,
 				   longopts, (int *) 0)) != -1)
 	{
diff --git a/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c b/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c
index 5a524d99..abd7f13a 100644
--- a/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c
+++ b/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ typedef struct schedulelist
 } schedulelist_t;
 static schedulelist_t *schedule;
 
-static const char *applet;
+extern const char *applet;
 static char *changeuser;
 static char **newenv;
 
@@ -575,7 +575,6 @@ int start_stop_daemon (int argc, char **argv)
 	char *svcname = getenv ("SVCNAME");
 	char *env;
 
-	applet = basename_c (argv[0]);
 	atexit (cleanup);
 
 	signal_setup (SIGINT, handle_signal);