diff --git a/libavcodec/h261.h b/libavcodec/h261.h
index 6461329343..21734a5e7d 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h261.h
+++ b/libavcodec/h261.h
@@ -48,4 +48,6 @@ typedef struct H261Context{
 
 #define MB_TYPE_H261_FIL 0x800000
 
+extern uint8_t ff_h261_rl_table_store[2][2*MAX_RUN + MAX_LEVEL + 3];
+
 #endif /* AVCODEC_H261_H */
diff --git a/libavcodec/h261dec.c b/libavcodec/h261dec.c
index d8ce66d24c..2592976407 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h261dec.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h261dec.c
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@
 #define MBA_STUFFING 33
 #define MBA_STARTCODE 34
 
-extern uint8_t ff_h261_rl_table_store[2][2*MAX_RUN + MAX_LEVEL + 3];
-
 static VLC h261_mba_vlc;
 static VLC h261_mtype_vlc;
 static VLC h261_mv_vlc;
diff --git a/libavcodec/h261enc.c b/libavcodec/h261enc.c
index 88b07965a0..07094136e7 100644
--- a/libavcodec/h261enc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/h261enc.c
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@
 #include "h261.h"
 #include "h261data.h"
 
-extern uint8_t ff_h261_rl_table_store[2][2*MAX_RUN + MAX_LEVEL + 3];
-
 static void h261_encode_block(H261Context * h, int16_t * block,
                               int n);