diff --git a/include/ircd/net/remote.h b/include/ircd/net/remote.h
index 61b69de29..35e96c563 100644
--- a/include/ircd/net/remote.h
+++ b/include/ircd/net/remote.h
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ namespace ircd::net
 	std::string string(const hostport &);
 	std::string string(const ipport &);
 	std::string string(const remote &);
-
-	extern const remote null_remote;
 }
 
 /// This structure holds a hostname and port usually fresh from user input
@@ -119,6 +117,8 @@ struct ircd::net::ipport
 struct ircd::net::remote
 :ircd::net::ipport
 {
+	static const remote null;
+
 	std::string hostname;
 
 	operator bool() const;
diff --git a/ircd/net.cc b/ircd/net.cc
index 8ba878d43..0b7fbdbe3 100644
--- a/ircd/net.cc
+++ b/ircd/net.cc
@@ -1516,10 +1516,6 @@ ircd::net::string(const mutable_buffer &buf,
 // net/remote.h
 //
 
-const ircd::net::remote
-ircd::net::null_remote
-{};
-
 //
 // host / port utils
 //
@@ -1686,6 +1682,10 @@ ircd::net::string(const remote &remote,
 // remote
 //
 
+const ircd::net::remote
+ircd::net::remote::null
+{};
+
 ircd::net::remote::remote(hostport hp)
 :remote{std::move(hp.first), hp.second}
 {