diff --git a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/device.h b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/device.h
index e11ed028904..e39b3f95ca0 100644
--- a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/device.h
+++ b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/device.h
@@ -289,6 +289,8 @@ put_device(struct device *dev)
 		kobject_put(&dev->kobj);
 }
 
+struct class *class_create(struct module *owner, const char *name);
+
 static inline int
 class_register(struct class *class)
 {
@@ -525,25 +527,6 @@ linux_class_kfree(struct class *class)
 	kfree(class);
 }
 
-static inline struct class *
-class_create(struct module *owner, const char *name)
-{
-	struct class *class;
-	int error;
-
-	class = kzalloc(sizeof(*class), M_WAITOK);
-	class->owner = owner;
-	class->name = name;
-	class->class_release = linux_class_kfree;
-	error = class_register(class);
-	if (error) {
-		kfree(class);
-		return (NULL);
-	}
-
-	return (class);
-}
-
 static inline void
 class_destroy(struct class *class)
 {
diff --git a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
index 22652e87d20..404b0e0857a 100644
--- a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
+++ b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
@@ -496,6 +496,25 @@ error:
 	return ERR_PTR(retval);
 }
 
+struct class *
+class_create(struct module *owner, const char *name)
+{
+	struct class *class;
+	int error;
+
+	class = kzalloc(sizeof(*class), M_WAITOK);
+	class->owner = owner;
+	class->name = name;
+	class->class_release = linux_class_kfree;
+	error = class_register(class);
+	if (error) {
+		kfree(class);
+		return (NULL);
+	}
+
+	return (class);
+}
+
 int
 kobject_init_and_add(struct kobject *kobj, const struct kobj_type *ktype,
     struct kobject *parent, const char *fmt, ...)