diff --git a/lib/com_err/compile_et.c b/lib/com_err/compile_et.c
index d6adb9cc0..c5a4f4fbc 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/compile_et.c
+++ b/lib/com_err/compile_et.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ extern FILE *yyin;
 
 extern void yyparse(void);
 
-long base;
+long base_id;
 int number;
 char *prefix;
 char *id_str;
@@ -156,13 +156,13 @@ generate_h(void)
     fprintf(h_file, "typedef enum %s_error_number{\n", name);
 
     for(ec = codes; ec; ec = ec->next) {
-	fprintf(h_file, "\t%s = %ld%s\n", ec->name, base + ec->number, 
+	fprintf(h_file, "\t%s = %ld%s\n", ec->name, base_id + ec->number, 
 		(ec->next != NULL) ? "," : "");
     }
 
     fprintf(h_file, "} %s_error_number;\n", name);
     fprintf(h_file, "\n");
-    fprintf(h_file, "#define ERROR_TABLE_BASE_%s %ld\n", name, base);
+    fprintf(h_file, "#define ERROR_TABLE_BASE_%s %ld\n", name, base_id);
     fprintf(h_file, "\n");
     fprintf(h_file, "#endif /* %s */\n", fn);
 
diff --git a/lib/com_err/compile_et.h b/lib/com_err/compile_et.h
index 3281d5fcc..5563f40e4 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/compile_et.h
+++ b/lib/com_err/compile_et.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <roken.h>
 
-extern long base;
+extern long base_id;
 extern int number;
 extern char *prefix;
 extern char name[128];
diff --git a/lib/com_err/parse.y b/lib/com_err/parse.y
index 718e30712..e9b283705 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/parse.y
+++ b/lib/com_err/parse.y
@@ -77,13 +77,13 @@ id		: ID STRING
 
 et		: ET STRING
 		{
-		    base = name2number($2);
+		    base_id = name2number($2);
 		    strlcpy(name, $2, sizeof(name));
 		    free($2);
 		}
 		| ET STRING STRING
 		{
-		    base = name2number($2);
+		    base_id = name2number($2);
 		    strlcpy(name, $3, sizeof(name));
 		    free($2);
 		    free($3);