diff --git a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h
index 29ab7b419..bbb2fd54c 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h
+++ b/lib/gssapi/gssapi/gssapi.h
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ GSSAPI_LIB_FUNCTION int GSSAPI_LIB_CALL
 gss_userok(const gss_name_t name,
            const char *user);
 
-extern GSSAPI_LIB_VARIABLE gss_buffer_t __gss_c_attr_local_login_user;
+extern GSSAPI_LIB_VARIABLE gss_buffer_desc __gss_c_attr_local_login_user;
 #define GSS_C_ATTR_LOCAL_LOGIN_USER (&__gss_c_attr_local_login_user)
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/gssapi/mech/gss_authorize_localname.c b/lib/gssapi/mech/gss_authorize_localname.c
index b0281208a..3fcd3ba9e 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/mech/gss_authorize_localname.c
+++ b/lib/gssapi/mech/gss_authorize_localname.c
@@ -32,13 +32,11 @@
 
 #include "mech_locl.h"
 
-static gss_buffer_desc localLoginUserAttr = {
+GSSAPI_LIB_VARIABLE gss_buffer_desc __gss_c_attr_local_login_user =  {
     sizeof("local-login-user") - 1,
     "local-login-user"
 };
 
-gss_buffer_t GSSAPI_LIB_VARIABLE __gss_c_attr_local_login_user = &localLoginUserAttr;
-
 static OM_uint32
 mech_authorize_localname(OM_uint32 *minor_status,
 	                 const struct _gss_name *name,