diff --git a/lib/mgmt_be_client.c b/lib/mgmt_be_client.c
index 51eaeb92deb4..058ff038d41f 100644
--- a/lib/mgmt_be_client.c
+++ b/lib/mgmt_be_client.c
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ struct debug mgmt_dbg_be_client = {
 	.desc = "Management backend client operations"
 };
 
-struct mgmt_be_client *mgmt_be_client;
+/* NOTE: only one client per proc for now. */
+static struct mgmt_be_client *__be_client;
 
 static int mgmt_be_client_send_msg(struct mgmt_be_client *client_ctx,
 				   Mgmtd__BeMessage *be_msg)
@@ -828,11 +829,11 @@ static void mgmt_debug_client_be_set(uint32_t flags, bool set)
 {
 	DEBUG_FLAGS_SET(&mgmt_dbg_be_client, flags, set);
 
-	if (!mgmt_be_client)
+	if (!__be_client)
 		return;
 
-	mgmt_be_client->client.conn.debug =
-		DEBUG_MODE_CHECK(&mgmt_dbg_be_client, DEBUG_MODE_ALL);
+	__be_client->client.conn.debug = DEBUG_MODE_CHECK(&mgmt_dbg_be_client,
+							  DEBUG_MODE_ALL);
 }
 
 DEFPY(debug_mgmt_client_be, debug_mgmt_client_be_cmd,
@@ -878,11 +879,11 @@ struct mgmt_be_client *mgmt_be_client_create(const char *client_name,
 {
 	struct mgmt_be_client *client;
 
-	if (mgmt_be_client)
+	if (__be_client)
 		return NULL;
 
 	client = XCALLOC(MTYPE_MGMTD_BE_CLIENT, sizeof(*client));
-	mgmt_be_client = client;
+	__be_client = client;
 
 	/* Only call after frr_init() */
 	assert(running_config);
@@ -916,7 +917,7 @@ void mgmt_be_client_lib_vty_init(void)
 
 void mgmt_be_client_destroy(struct mgmt_be_client *client)
 {
-	assert(client == mgmt_be_client);
+	assert(client == __be_client);
 
 	MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_DBG("Destroying MGMTD Backend Client '%s'",
 			    client->name);
@@ -929,5 +930,5 @@ void mgmt_be_client_destroy(struct mgmt_be_client *client)
 	XFREE(MTYPE_MGMTD_BE_CLIENT_NAME, client->name);
 	XFREE(MTYPE_MGMTD_BE_CLIENT, client);
 
-	mgmt_be_client = NULL;
+	__be_client = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c b/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c
index e99826761ea0..4c6f86b19450 100644
--- a/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c
+++ b/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ struct debug mgmt_dbg_fe_client = {
 	.desc = "Management frontend client operations"
 };
 
-struct mgmt_fe_client *mgmt_fe_client;
+/* NOTE: only one client per proc for now. */
+static struct mgmt_fe_client *__fe_client;
 
 static inline const char *dsid2name(Mgmtd__DatastoreId id)
 {
@@ -550,11 +551,11 @@ static void mgmt_debug_client_fe_set(uint32_t mode, bool set)
 {
 	DEBUG_FLAGS_SET(&mgmt_dbg_fe_client, mode, set);
 
-	if (!mgmt_fe_client)
+	if (!__fe_client)
 		return;
 
-	mgmt_fe_client->client.conn.debug =
-		DEBUG_MODE_CHECK(&mgmt_dbg_fe_client, DEBUG_MODE_ALL);
+	__fe_client->client.conn.debug = DEBUG_MODE_CHECK(&mgmt_dbg_fe_client,
+							  DEBUG_MODE_ALL);
 }
 
 DEFPY(debug_mgmt_client_fe, debug_mgmt_client_fe_cmd,
@@ -603,11 +604,11 @@ struct mgmt_fe_client *mgmt_fe_client_create(const char *client_name,
 {
 	struct mgmt_fe_client *client;
 
-	if (mgmt_fe_client)
+	if (__fe_client)
 		return NULL;
 
 	client = XCALLOC(MTYPE_MGMTD_FE_CLIENT, sizeof(*client));
-	mgmt_fe_client = client;
+	__fe_client = client;
 
 	client->name = XSTRDUP(MTYPE_MGMTD_FE_CLIENT_NAME, client_name);
 	client->user_data = user_data;
@@ -704,7 +705,7 @@ void mgmt_fe_client_destroy(struct mgmt_fe_client *client)
 {
 	struct mgmt_fe_client_session *session;
 
-	assert(client == mgmt_fe_client);
+	assert(client == __fe_client);
 
 	MGMTD_FE_CLIENT_DBG("Destroying MGMTD Frontend Client '%s'",
 			    client->name);
@@ -717,5 +718,5 @@ void mgmt_fe_client_destroy(struct mgmt_fe_client *client)
 	XFREE(MTYPE_MGMTD_FE_CLIENT_NAME, client->name);
 	XFREE(MTYPE_MGMTD_FE_CLIENT, client);
 
-	mgmt_fe_client = NULL;
+	__fe_client = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/staticd/static_main.c b/staticd/static_main.c
index 165fb4d65204..b2f5ec4952d6 100644
--- a/staticd/static_main.c
+++ b/staticd/static_main.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct option longopts[] = { { 0 } };
 /* Master of threads. */
 struct event_loop *master;
 
-struct mgmt_be_client *mgmt_be_client;
+static struct mgmt_be_client *mgmt_be_client;
 
 static struct frr_daemon_info staticd_di;