diff --git a/win/X11/winX.c b/win/X11/winX.c
index 6e3232b68..89cbc631e 100644
--- a/win/X11/winX.c
+++ b/win/X11/winX.c
@@ -946,8 +946,8 @@ const char *str;
 
     switch (wp->type) {
     case NHW_MESSAGE:
-        (void) strncpy(toplines, str, TBUFSZ); /* for Norep(). */
-        toplines[TBUFSZ - 1] = 0;
+        (void) strncpy(g.toplines, str, TBUFSZ); /* for Norep(). */
+        g.toplines[TBUFSZ - 1] = 0;
         append_message(wp, str);
         break;
 #ifndef STATUS_HILITES
diff --git a/win/gem/wingem1.c b/win/gem/wingem1.c
index 368aff27e..08473853f 100644
--- a/win/gem/wingem1.c
+++ b/win/gem/wingem1.c
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ static const struct pad {
 #define TBUFSZ 300
 #define BUFSZ 256
 extern int yn_number;                          /* from decl.c */
-extern char toplines[TBUFSZ];                  /* from decl.c */
 extern char mapped_menu_cmds[];                /* from options.c */
 extern int mar_iflags_numpad(void);            /* from wingem.c */
 extern void Gem_raw_print(const char *);       /* from wingem.c */
@@ -1647,13 +1646,13 @@ const char *str;
         }
         message_line[mesg_hist - 1] = tmp;
     }
-    strcpy(toplines, str);
+    strcpy(g.toplines, str);
     messages_pro_zug++;
     msg_max++;
 
-    if ((int) strlen(toplines) >= msg_width) {
+    if ((int) strlen(g.toplines) >= msg_width) {
         int pos = msg_width;
-        tmp = toplines + msg_width;
+        tmp = g.toplines + msg_width;
         while (*tmp != ' ' && pos >= 0) {
             tmp--;
             pos--;
@@ -1661,12 +1660,12 @@ const char *str;
         if (pos <= 0)
             pos = msg_width; /* Mar -- Oops, what a word :-) */
         message_age[msg_max] = TRUE;
-        strncpy(message_line[msg_max], toplines, pos);
+        strncpy(message_line[msg_max], g.toplines, pos);
         message_line[msg_max][pos] = 0;
-        rest = strcpy(buf, toplines + pos);
+        rest = strcpy(buf, g.toplines + pos);
     } else {
         message_age[msg_max] = TRUE;
-        strncpy(message_line[msg_max], toplines, msg_width);
+        strncpy(message_line[msg_max], g.toplines, msg_width);
         rest = 0;
     }