diff --git a/pscp.c b/pscp.c
index e6935fc7..916d829c 100644
--- a/pscp.c
+++ b/pscp.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static bool using_sftp = false;
 static bool uploading = false;
 
 static Backend *backend;
-Conf *conf;
+static Conf *conf;
 bool sent_eof = false;
 
 static void source(const char *src);
diff --git a/psftp.c b/psftp.c
index 0567144f..1fee4e3d 100644
--- a/psftp.c
+++ b/psftp.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ static void do_sftp_cleanup(void);
 char *pwd, *homedir;
 static LogContext *psftp_logctx = NULL;
 static Backend *backend;
-Conf *conf;
+static Conf *conf;
 bool sent_eof = false;
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/unix/uxplink.c b/unix/uxplink.c
index f75b04ce..b1aa1bf4 100644
--- a/unix/uxplink.c
+++ b/unix/uxplink.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ void cmdline_error(const char *fmt, ...)
 static bool local_tty = false; /* do we have a local tty? */
 
 static Backend *backend;
-Conf *conf;
+static Conf *conf;
 
 /*
  * Default settings that are specific to Unix plink.
diff --git a/windows/windlg.c b/windows/windlg.c
index d2704520..1b755b7b 100644
--- a/windows/windlg.c
+++ b/windows/windlg.c
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ void defuse_showwindow(void)
     }
 }
 
-bool do_config(void)
+bool do_config(Conf *conf)
 {
     bool ret;
 
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ bool do_config(void)
     return ret;
 }
 
-bool do_reconfig(HWND hwnd, int protcfginfo)
+bool do_reconfig(HWND hwnd, Conf *conf, int protcfginfo)
 {
     Conf *backup_conf;
     bool ret;
diff --git a/windows/window.c b/windows/window.c
index 59259703..5accaf22 100644
--- a/windows/window.c
+++ b/windows/window.c
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ static struct {
 enum { SYSMENU, CTXMENU };
 static HMENU savedsess_menu;
 
+static Conf *conf;
+
 struct wm_netevent_params {
     /* Used to pass data to wm_netevent_callback */
     WPARAM wParam;
@@ -577,7 +579,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE inst, HINSTANCE prev, LPSTR cmdline, int show)
                 i--;
             p[i] = '\0';
             do_defaults(p + 1, conf);
-            if (!conf_launchable(conf) && !do_config()) {
+            if (!conf_launchable(conf) && !do_config(conf)) {
                 cleanup_exit(0);
             }
             special_launchable_argument = true;
@@ -600,7 +602,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE inst, HINSTANCE prev, LPSTR cmdline, int show)
                     modalfatalbox("Serialised configuration data was invalid");
                 UnmapViewOfFile(cp);
                 CloseHandle(filemap);
-            } else if (!do_config()) {
+            } else if (!do_config(conf)) {
                 cleanup_exit(0);
             }
             special_launchable_argument = true;
@@ -672,7 +674,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE inst, HINSTANCE prev, LPSTR cmdline, int show)
          * (explicitly) specified a launchable configuration.
          */
         if (!(special_launchable_argument || cmdline_host_ok(conf))) {
-            if (!do_config())
+            if (!do_config(conf))
                 cleanup_exit(0);
         }
 
@@ -2326,8 +2328,8 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT message,
 
                 prev_conf = conf_copy(conf);
 
-                reconfig_result =
-                    do_reconfig(hwnd, backend ? backend_cfg_info(backend) : 0);
+                reconfig_result = do_reconfig(
+                    hwnd, conf, backend ? backend_cfg_info(backend) : 0);
                 reconfiguring = false;
                 if (!reconfig_result) {
                     conf_free(prev_conf);
diff --git a/windows/winplink.c b/windows/winplink.c
index 936835bd..794aa925 100644
--- a/windows/winplink.c
+++ b/windows/winplink.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ BinarySink *stdout_bs, *stderr_bs;
 DWORD orig_console_mode;
 
 static Backend *backend;
-Conf *conf;
+static Conf *conf;
 
 static void plink_echoedit_update(Seat *seat, bool echo, bool edit)
 {
diff --git a/windows/winstuff.h b/windows/winstuff.h
index 25afd554..7857e623 100644
--- a/windows/winstuff.h
+++ b/windows/winstuff.h
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@ int has_embedded_chm(void);            /* 1 = yes, 0 = no, -1 = N/A */
  */
 GLOBAL Terminal *term;
 GLOBAL LogContext *logctx;
-GLOBAL Conf *conf;
 
 /*
  * GUI seat methods in windlg.c, so that the vtable definition in
@@ -569,8 +568,8 @@ void win_setup_config_box(struct controlbox *b, HWND *hwndp, bool has_help,
  * Exports from windlg.c.
  */
 void defuse_showwindow(void);
-bool do_config(void);
-bool do_reconfig(HWND, int);
+bool do_config(Conf *);
+bool do_reconfig(HWND, Conf *, int);
 void showeventlog(HWND);
 void showabout(HWND);
 void force_normal(HWND hwnd);