diff --git a/sys/compat/linux/linux_sysctl.c b/sys/compat/linux/linux_sysctl.c
index bcc545f39a31..76d04164a807 100644
--- a/sys/compat/linux/linux_sysctl.c
+++ b/sys/compat/linux/linux_sysctl.c
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ LIN_SDT_PROBE_DEFINE2(sysctl, linux_sysctl, wrong_length, "int", "int");
 LIN_SDT_PROBE_DEFINE1(sysctl, linux_sysctl, unsupported_sysctl, "char *");
 LIN_SDT_PROBE_DEFINE1(sysctl, linux_sysctl, return, "int");
 
+#ifdef LINUX_LEGACY_SYSCALLS
 static int
 handle_string(struct l___sysctl_args *la, char *value)
 {
@@ -115,7 +116,6 @@ handle_string(struct l___sysctl_args *la, char *value)
 	return (0);
 }
 
-#ifdef LINUX_LEGACY_SYSCALLS
 int
 linux_sysctl(struct thread *td, struct linux_sysctl_args *args)
 {