diff --git a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h
--- a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h
+++ b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@
 	u_int		siref;
 };
 
+struct linux_cdev *cdev_alloc(void);
+
 static inline void
 cdev_init(struct linux_cdev *cdev, const struct file_operations *ops)
 {
@@ -66,17 +68,6 @@
 	cdev->refs = 1;
 }
 
-static inline struct linux_cdev *
-cdev_alloc(void)
-{
-	struct linux_cdev *cdev;
-
-	cdev = kzalloc(sizeof(struct linux_cdev), M_WAITOK);
-	kobject_init(&cdev->kobj, &linux_cdev_ktype);
-	cdev->refs = 1;
-	return (cdev);
-}
-
 static inline void
 cdev_put(struct linux_cdev *p)
 {
diff --git a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
--- a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
+++ b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
@@ -602,6 +602,17 @@
 	}
 }
 
+struct linux_cdev *
+cdev_alloc(void)
+{
+	struct linux_cdev *cdev;
+
+	cdev = kzalloc(sizeof(struct linux_cdev), M_WAITOK);
+	kobject_init(&cdev->kobj, &linux_cdev_ktype);
+	cdev->refs = 1;
+	return (cdev);
+}
+
 static int
 linux_cdev_pager_fault(vm_object_t vm_obj, vm_ooffset_t offset, int prot,
     vm_page_t *mres)