diff --git a/drivers/thermal/thermal_sys.c b/drivers/thermal/thermal_sys.c
index 220ce7e31cf50f..859b80b6d37675 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/thermal_sys.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/thermal_sys.c
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ static LIST_HEAD(thermal_tz_list);
 static LIST_HEAD(thermal_cdev_list);
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(thermal_list_lock);
 
-static unsigned int thermal_event_seqnum;
-
 static int get_idr(struct idr *idr, struct mutex *lock, int *id)
 {
 	int err;
@@ -1312,6 +1310,7 @@ int thermal_generate_netlink_event(u32 orig, enum events event)
 	void *msg_header;
 	int size;
 	int result;
+	static unsigned int thermal_event_seqnum;
 
 	/* allocate memory */
 	size = nla_total_size(sizeof(struct thermal_genl_event)) + \