diff --git a/libtransmission/bencode.c b/libtransmission/bencode.c
index c6e4626c8..9169f1444 100644
--- a/libtransmission/bencode.c
+++ b/libtransmission/bencode.c
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@
 #include "ptrarray.h"
 #include "utils.h" /* tr_new(), tr_free() */
 
-const tr_benc BENC_NULL = { 0, { 0 } };
-
 /**
 ***
 **/
@@ -61,6 +59,14 @@ isSomething( const tr_benc * val )
     return isContainer(val) || tr_bencIsInt(val) || tr_bencIsString(val);
 }
 
+static void
+tr_bencInit( tr_benc * val, int type )
+{
+    memset( val, 0, sizeof( *val ) );
+    val->type = type;
+}
+
+
 /***
 ****  tr_bencParse()
 ****  tr_bencLoad()
diff --git a/libtransmission/bencode.h b/libtransmission/bencode.h
index 32baa112d..0cf25912e 100644
--- a/libtransmission/bencode.h
+++ b/libtransmission/bencode.h
@@ -79,12 +79,6 @@ tr_benc * tr_bencDictFindFirst( tr_benc * dict, ... );
 
 /* convenience functions for building tr_benc    structures */
 
-static inline void tr_bencInit( tr_benc    * val, int type )
-{
-    memset( val, 0, sizeof( *val ) );
-    val->type = type;
-}
-
 #define tr_bencInitStr( a, b, c, d ) \
     _tr_bencInitStr( (a), ( char * )(b), (c), (d) )
 void   _tr_bencInitStr( tr_benc * val, char * str, int len, int nofree );