diff --git a/include/ipfs/namesys/namesys.h b/include/ipfs/namesys/namesys.h
index cea78de..6510f07 100644
--- a/include/ipfs/namesys/namesys.h
+++ b/include/ipfs/namesys/namesys.h
@@ -3,17 +3,21 @@
 
     #define DefaultDepthLimit 32
 
-    char *ErrNamesys[] = {
-        NULL,
-        "ErrAllocFailed",
-        "ErrNULLPointer",
-        "Could not publish name."
-        "Could not resolve name.",
-        "Could not resolve name (recursion limit exceeded).",
-        "expired record",
-        "unrecognized validity type",
-        "not a valid proquint string"
-    };
+    #ifdef NAMESYS_C
+        char *ErrNamesys[] = {
+            NULL,
+            "ErrAllocFailed",
+            "ErrNULLPointer",
+            "Could not publish name."
+            "Could not resolve name.",
+            "Could not resolve name (recursion limit exceeded).",
+            "expired record",
+            "unrecognized validity type",
+            "not a valid proquint string"
+        };
+    #else
+        extern char *ErrNamesys;
+    #endif // NAMESYS_C
 
     enum {
         ErrAllocFailed = 1,
diff --git a/namesys/namesys.c b/namesys/namesys.c
index 8b95786..df74995 100644
--- a/namesys/namesys.c
+++ b/namesys/namesys.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <time.h>
 #include "ipfs/cid/cid.h"
 #include "ipfs/path/path.h"
+#define NAMESYS_C
 #include "ipfs/namesys/namesys.h"
 
 /* mpns (a multi-protocol NameSystem) implements generic IPFS naming.