diff --git a/Documentation/process/coding-style.rst b/Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
index 277c113376a6..b78dd680c038 100644
--- a/Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
+++ b/Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
@@ -443,6 +443,9 @@ In function prototypes, include parameter names with their data types.
 Although this is not required by the C language, it is preferred in Linux
 because it is a simple way to add valuable information for the reader.
 
+Do not use the `extern' keyword with function prototypes as this makes
+lines longer and isn't strictly necessary.
+
 
 7) Centralized exiting of functions
 -----------------------------------