diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h
index eccfcc54cea8..6191b0850646 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet-mdio.h
@@ -40,5 +40,8 @@
 #endif /* CONFIG_XFRM */
 
 extern const struct ethtool_ops cvm_oct_ethtool_ops;
+
+extern void octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency(void);
+
 int cvm_oct_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct ifreq *rq, int cmd);
 int cvm_oct_phy_setup_device(struct net_device *dev);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
index 79f33349e93f..f539d82f2f11 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/octeon/ethernet.c
@@ -573,8 +573,6 @@ static const struct net_device_ops cvm_oct_pow_netdev_ops = {
 #endif
 };
 
-extern void octeon_mdiobus_force_mod_depencency(void);
-
 static struct device_node *cvm_oct_of_get_child(
 				const struct device_node *parent, int reg_val)
 {