diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp-private.h b/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp-private.h
index f3c472f86..a0a882d68 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp-private.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include "cogl-material-private.h"
 
-const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_arbfp_backend;
+extern const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_arbfp_backend;
 
 #endif /* __COGL_MATERIAL_ARBFP_PRIVATE_H */
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp.c b/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp.c
index ec6b71398..724a5f7cb 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material-arbfp.c
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ typedef struct _CoglMaterialBackendARBfpPrivate
   int next_constant_id;
 } CoglMaterialBackendARBfpPrivate;
 
+const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_arbfp_backend;
+
 static int
 _cogl_material_backend_arbfp_get_max_texture_units (void)
 {
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material-fixed-private.h b/cogl/cogl-material-fixed-private.h
index 1af978cde..25704caf3 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material-fixed-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material-fixed-private.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include "cogl-material-private.h"
 
-const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_fixed_backend;
+extern const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_fixed_backend;
 
 #endif /* __COGL_MATERIAL_FIXED_PRIVATE_H */
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material-fixed.c b/cogl/cogl-material-fixed.c
index 0167533b4..1e7870c6a 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material-fixed.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material-fixed.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 #include "../gles/cogl-gles2-wrapper.h"
 #endif
 
+const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_fixed_backend;
+
 static int
 _cogl_material_backend_fixed_get_max_texture_units (void)
 {
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material-glsl-private.h b/cogl/cogl-material-glsl-private.h
index 64557a022..742e39932 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material-glsl-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material-glsl-private.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include "cogl-material-private.h"
 
-const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_glsl_backend;
+extern const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_glsl_backend;
 
 #endif /* __COGL_MATERIAL_GLSL_PRIVATE_H */
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material-glsl.c b/cogl/cogl-material-glsl.c
index 9f0f6fccd..938427f0a 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material-glsl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material-glsl.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 #include "../gles/cogl-gles2-wrapper.h"
 #endif
 
+const CoglMaterialBackend _cogl_material_glsl_backend;
+
 static int
 _cogl_material_backend_glsl_get_max_texture_units (void)
 {