diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index de8f384206..34b72d196a 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -2632,7 +2632,7 @@ _lifetime_summary_to_string (gint32 now, guint32 timestamp, guint32 preferred, g
 	return buf;
 }
 
-static char _nm_platform_to_string_buffer[256];
+char _nm_platform_to_string_buffer[256];
 
 const char *
 nm_platform_link_to_string (const NMPlatformLink *link)
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index 3a6c616839..23ded2a44b 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ typedef struct {
 extern const NMPlatformVTableRoute nm_platform_vtable_route_v4;
 extern const NMPlatformVTableRoute nm_platform_vtable_route_v6;
 
+extern char _nm_platform_to_string_buffer[256];
 
 typedef struct {
 	int peer;