diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 5a63f0feeb..25388e6fdd 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -155,6 +155,14 @@ int mingw_mkdir(const char *path, int mode)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+#undef unlink
+int mingw_unlink(const char *pathname)
+{
+	/* read-only files cannot be removed */
+	chmod(pathname, 0666);
+	return unlink(pathname);
+}
+
 #undef open
 int mingw_open (const char *filename, int oflags, ...)
 {
diff --git a/compat/mingw.h b/compat/mingw.h
index e324e2f012..3d2f32a511 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.h
+++ b/compat/mingw.h
@@ -119,14 +119,6 @@ static inline int fcntl(int fd, int cmd, ...)
 int mingw_mkdir(const char *path, int mode);
 #define mkdir mingw_mkdir
 
-static inline int mingw_unlink(const char *pathname)
-{
-	/* read-only files cannot be removed */
-	chmod(pathname, 0666);
-	return unlink(pathname);
-}
-#define unlink mingw_unlink
-
 static inline pid_t waitpid(pid_t pid, int *status, unsigned options)
 {
 	if (options == 0)
@@ -177,6 +169,9 @@ int link(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
  * replacements of existing functions
  */
 
+int mingw_unlink(const char *pathname);
+#define unlink mingw_unlink
+
 int mingw_open (const char *filename, int oflags, ...);
 #define open mingw_open