diff --git a/src/nvim/channel.c b/src/nvim/channel.c
index f9102fa0e2..3b7ef8346e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/channel.c
+++ b/src/nvim/channel.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #include "nvim/ascii.h"
 
 static bool did_stdio = false;
-PMap(uint64_t) *channels = NULL;
 
 /// next free id for a job or rpc channel
 /// 1 is reserved for stdio channel
diff --git a/src/nvim/channel.h b/src/nvim/channel.h
index c733e276be..9d26852ce5 100644
--- a/src/nvim/channel.h
+++ b/src/nvim/channel.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ struct Channel {
   bool callback_scheduled;
 };
 
-EXTERN PMap(uint64_t) *channels;
+EXTERN PMap(uint64_t) *channels INIT(= NULL);
 
 #ifdef INCLUDE_GENERATED_DECLARATIONS
 # include "channel.h.generated.h"
diff --git a/src/nvim/main.c b/src/nvim/main.c
index 1e849e6f12..40a0ec6327 100644
--- a/src/nvim/main.c
+++ b/src/nvim/main.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <msgpack.h>
 
 #include "nvim/ascii.h"
+#include "nvim/channel.h"
 #include "nvim/vim.h"
 #include "nvim/main.h"
 #include "nvim/aucmd.h"