diff --git a/lib/utils/printf.c b/lib/utils/printf.c
index 611ad2df4cfbbb48df8dfa028455dac0f9e6bf2e..082b1c65a89657e4732dd4b68d70f2c178a25cc5 100644
--- a/lib/utils/printf.c
+++ b/lib/utils/printf.c
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ int vprintf(const char *fmt, va_list ap) {
 }
 
 #if MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTERS
-mp_uint_t mp_verbose_flag = 1;
-
 int DEBUG_printf(const char *fmt, ...) {
     va_list ap;
     va_start(ap, fmt);
diff --git a/py/emitglue.c b/py/emitglue.c
index a0f0e004eba619fe6ba5ac22a6c0049c72f856a4..e6f3fc16d8b011f911aca01ade0c2923271505f5 100644
--- a/py/emitglue.c
+++ b/py/emitglue.c
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@
 #define DEBUG_OP_printf(...) (void)0
 #endif
 
+#if MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTERS
+mp_uint_t mp_verbose_flag = 0;
+#endif
+
 struct _mp_raw_code_t {
     mp_raw_code_kind_t kind : 3;
     mp_uint_t scope_flags : 7;
diff --git a/unix/main.c b/unix/main.c
index 26b7a136839bb9db8a0c3f8aa89fdac39446e56c..26618af3f7ed553e8e397ed62d7969c9d0eb8dab 100644
--- a/unix/main.c
+++ b/unix/main.c
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 // Command line options, with their defaults
 STATIC bool compile_only = false;
 STATIC uint emit_opt = MP_EMIT_OPT_NONE;
-mp_uint_t mp_verbose_flag = 0;
 
 #if MICROPY_ENABLE_GC
 // Heap size of GC heap (if enabled)