diff --git a/include/linux/inotify.h b/include/linux/inotify.h
index 959a38b8f75d..94d209a1b689 100644
--- a/include/linux/inotify.h
+++ b/include/linux/inotify.h
@@ -69,4 +69,9 @@ struct inotify_event {
 #define IN_CLOEXEC O_CLOEXEC
 #define IN_NONBLOCK O_NONBLOCK
 
+#ifdef __KERNEL__
+#include <linux/sysctl.h>
+extern struct ctl_table inotify_table[]; /* for sysctl */
+#endif
+
 #endif	/* _LINUX_INOTIFY_H */
diff --git a/kernel/sysctl.c b/kernel/sysctl.c
index 7b983dbfe0ec..fe30db7bdb0a 100644
--- a/kernel/sysctl.c
+++ b/kernel/sysctl.c
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ static int min_percpu_pagelist_fract = 8;
 
 static int ngroups_max = NGROUPS_MAX;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_INOTIFY_USER
+#include <linux/inotify.h>
+#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_SPARC
 #include <asm/system.h>
 #endif
@@ -207,9 +210,6 @@ static struct ctl_table fs_table[];
 static struct ctl_table debug_table[];
 static struct ctl_table dev_table[];
 extern struct ctl_table random_table[];
-#ifdef CONFIG_INOTIFY_USER
-extern struct ctl_table inotify_table[];
-#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_EPOLL
 extern struct ctl_table epoll_table[];
 #endif