diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 7fe133cb0..dfff973c9 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: nanonext
 Type: Package
 Title: NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen) Lightweight Messaging Library
-Version: 1.3.0.9011
+Version: 1.3.0.9012
 Description: R binding for NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen), a successor to ZeroMQ. NNG is
     a socket library implementing 'Scalability Protocols', a reliable,
     high-performance standard for common communications patterns including
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index b1a7e5333..fed1ee186 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# nanonext 1.3.0.9011 (development)
+# nanonext 1.3.0.9012 (development)
 
 #### Updates
 
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index 7f792b6e0..f8818d12d 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ void (*eln2)(void (*)(void *), void *, double, int) = NULL;
 
 uint8_t special_bit = 0;
 
-extern nng_thread *nano_wait_thr;
-extern nng_aio *nano_shared_aio;
-extern nng_mtx *nano_wait_mtx;
-extern nng_cv *nano_wait_cv;
-extern int nano_wait_condition;
+nng_mtx *nano_wait_mtx;
+nng_cv *nano_wait_cv;
+nng_thread *nano_wait_thr = NULL;
+nng_aio *nano_shared_aio = NULL;
+int nano_wait_condition = 0;
 
 SEXP nano_AioSymbol;
 SEXP nano_ContextSymbol;
diff --git a/src/thread.c b/src/thread.c
index 14a481ced..0ec191cc4 100644
--- a/src/thread.c
+++ b/src/thread.c
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@
 
 // threads callable and messenger ----------------------------------------------
 
-nng_mtx *nano_wait_mtx = NULL;
-nng_cv *nano_wait_cv = NULL;
-nng_thread *nano_wait_thr = NULL;
-nng_aio *nano_shared_aio = NULL;
-int nano_wait_condition = 0;
+extern nng_thread *nano_wait_thr;
+extern nng_aio *nano_shared_aio;
+extern nng_mtx *nano_wait_mtx;
+extern nng_cv *nano_wait_cv;
+extern int nano_wait_condition;
 
 // # nocov start
 // tested interactively
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ SEXP rnng_wait_thread_create(SEXP x) {
 }
 
 SEXP rnng_thread_shutdown(void) {
-  if (nano_wait_thr) {
+  if (nano_wait_thr != NULL) {
     if (nano_shared_aio != NULL)
       nng_aio_stop(nano_shared_aio);
     nng_mtx_lock(nano_wait_mtx);
@@ -472,7 +472,6 @@ SEXP rnng_thread_shutdown(void) {
     nng_thread_destroy(nano_wait_thr);
     nng_cv_free(nano_wait_cv);
     nng_mtx_free(nano_wait_mtx);
-    nano_wait_thr = NULL;
   }
   return R_NilValue;
 }