diff --git a/zebra/if_netlink.c b/zebra/if_netlink.c
index 4201e0fae8c3..3e56d571e650 100644
--- a/zebra/if_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/if_netlink.c
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@
 #include "zebra/netconf_netlink.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_trace.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_evpn_arp_nd.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 /* Utility function to parse hardware link-layer address and update ifp */
 static void netlink_interface_update_hw_addr(struct rtattr **tb,
diff --git a/zebra/ioctl.c b/zebra/ioctl.c
index a35784cd36e4..4a61fd1f480a 100644
--- a/zebra/ioctl.c
+++ b/zebra/ioctl.c
@@ -22,13 +22,12 @@
 #include "zebra/interface.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"
 #include "zebra/debug.h"
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_BSD_LINK_DETECT
 #include <net/if_media.h>
 #endif /* HAVE_BSD_LINK_DETECT*/
 
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
-
 /* clear and set interface name string */
 void ifreq_set_name(struct ifreq *ifreq, struct interface *ifp)
 {
diff --git a/zebra/ipforward_proc.c b/zebra/ipforward_proc.c
index 08fbfede42af..1691d7bb37c5 100644
--- a/zebra/ipforward_proc.c
+++ b/zebra/ipforward_proc.c
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
 #include "privs.h"
 
 #include "zebra/ipforward.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 static const char proc_net_snmp[] = "/proc/net/snmp";
 
diff --git a/zebra/ipforward_sysctl.c b/zebra/ipforward_sysctl.c
index bc9d12b5225a..39cb91cd13b5 100644
--- a/zebra/ipforward_sysctl.c
+++ b/zebra/ipforward_sysctl.c
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "lib_errors.h"
 
-#define MIB_SIZ 4
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#define MIB_SIZ 4
 
 /* IPv4 forwarding control MIB. */
 int mib[MIB_SIZ] = {CTL_NET, PF_INET, IPPROTO_IP, IPCTL_FORWARDING};
diff --git a/zebra/irdp_main.c b/zebra/irdp_main.c
index 349ae1a19191..1bf6d7856f84 100644
--- a/zebra/irdp_main.c
+++ b/zebra/irdp_main.c
@@ -51,11 +51,9 @@
 #include "sockunion.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "network.h"
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 /* GLOBAL VARS */
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
-
 struct event *t_irdp_raw;
 
 /* Timer interval of irdp. */
diff --git a/zebra/kernel_netlink.c b/zebra/kernel_netlink.c
index 84aabc425456..8815f7a148d8 100644
--- a/zebra/kernel_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/kernel_netlink.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "zebra/netconf_netlink.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"
 #include "zebra/ge_netlink.h"
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 #ifndef SO_RCVBUFFORCE
 #define SO_RCVBUFFORCE  (33)
@@ -168,8 +169,6 @@ static const struct message rttype_str[] = {{RTN_UNSPEC, "none"},
 
 extern struct event_loop *master;
 
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
-
 DEFINE_MTYPE_STATIC(ZEBRA, NL_BUF, "Zebra Netlink buffers");
 
 /* Hashtable and mutex to allow lookup of nlsock structs by socket/fd value.
diff --git a/zebra/kernel_socket.c b/zebra/kernel_socket.c
index 5cfbe7a896dd..137853b759bc 100644
--- a/zebra/kernel_socket.c
+++ b/zebra/kernel_socket.c
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@
 #include "zebra/rib.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_ptm.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 /*
  * Historically, the BSD routing socket has aligned data following a
diff --git a/zebra/netconf_netlink.c b/zebra/netconf_netlink.c
index 002d2c7bf65d..7196836bda1a 100644
--- a/zebra/netconf_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/netconf_netlink.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "zebra/kernel_netlink.h"
 #include "zebra/netconf_netlink.h"
 #include "zebra/debug.h"
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 static struct rtattr *netconf_rta(struct netconfmsg *ncm)
 {
@@ -175,7 +176,6 @@ int netlink_request_netconf(int sockfd)
 	return netlink_request(nls, &req);
 }
 
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
 /*
  * Currently netconf has no ability to set from netlink.
  * So we've received a request to do this work in the data plane.
diff --git a/zebra/rt_socket.c b/zebra/rt_socket.c
index 0bfcd518cade..54db65b203c6 100644
--- a/zebra/rt_socket.c
+++ b/zebra/rt_socket.c
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@
 #include "zebra/kernel_socket.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_mpls.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 #ifdef __OpenBSD__
 static int kernel_rtm_add_labels(struct mpls_label_stack *nh_label,
diff --git a/zebra/rtadv.c b/zebra/rtadv.c
index 8f6713517d35..8e424e728f67 100644
--- a/zebra/rtadv.c
+++ b/zebra/rtadv.c
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@
 #include "zebra/zebra_vrf.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_router.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 static uint32_t interfaces_configured_for_ra_from_bgp;
 #define RTADV_ADATA_SIZE 1024
diff --git a/zebra/subdir.am b/zebra/subdir.am
index b8edb6a55071..b015a17fb5b8 100644
--- a/zebra/subdir.am
+++ b/zebra/subdir.am
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS += \
 	zebra/zebra_nhg_private.h \
 	zebra/zebra_ns.h \
 	zebra/zebra_opaque.h \
+	zebra/zebra_privs.h \
 	zebra/zebra_pbr.h \
 	zebra/zebra_ptm.h \
 	zebra/zebra_ptm_redistribute.h \
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_evpn_arp_nd.c b/zebra/zebra_evpn_arp_nd.c
index 3078ccc62b1c..e3c1b361e2c2 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_evpn_arp_nd.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_evpn_arp_nd.c
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ struct ethhdr;
 #include "zebra_evpn_mac.h"
 #include "zebra_evpn_mh.h"
 #include "zebra_evpn_arp_nd.h"
+#include "zebra_privs.h"
 
 struct zebra_evpn_arp_nd_info zevpn_arp_nd_info;
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
 
 #ifdef GNU_LINUX
 #define DO_NOT_CRASH_COMPILER 0
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_mpls_openbsd.c b/zebra/zebra_mpls_openbsd.c
index 85a53dd4c5a3..3295ac423a17 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_mpls_openbsd.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_mpls_openbsd.c
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@
 #include "interface.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "lib_errors.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 
 struct {
 	uint32_t rtseq;
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.c b/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.c
index 3ac4fdd73716..0d83846987f7 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "zebra_netns_id.h"
 #include "zebra_errors.h"
 #include "interface.h"
+#include "zebra_privs.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NETLINK
 
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.h b/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.h
index c701b0f8ac23..c62a8f3a5827 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.h
+++ b/zebra/zebra_netns_notify.h
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ extern void zebra_ns_notify_init(void);
 extern void zebra_ns_notify_parse(void);
 extern void zebra_ns_notify_close(void);
 
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_ns.c b/zebra/zebra_ns.c
index 803d8f0034c0..bb5f2cae5c36 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_ns.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_ns.c
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 #include "table_manager.h"
 #include "zebra_errors.h"
 #include "zebra_dplane.h"
-
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
+#include "zebra_privs.h"
 
 DEFINE_MTYPE_STATIC(ZEBRA, ZEBRA_NS, "Zebra Name Space");
 
diff --git a/zebra/zserv.c b/zebra/zserv.c
index 07e399664316..07a0f451eae5 100644
--- a/zebra/zserv.c
+++ b/zebra/zserv.c
@@ -50,10 +50,9 @@
 #include "zebra/zserv.h"          /* for zserv */
 #include "zebra/zebra_router.h"
 #include "zebra/zebra_errors.h"   /* for error messages */
+#include "zebra/zebra_privs.h"
 /* clang-format on */
 
-/* privileges */
-extern struct zebra_privs_t zserv_privs;
 
 /* The listener socket for clients connecting to us */
 static int zsock;