diff --git a/src/api.c b/src/api.c
index 3ea1322d..75ae7d9e 100644
--- a/src/api.c
+++ b/src/api.c
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 #include "sig.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-extern svc_t *wdog;
 static uev_t api_watcher;
 
 static int call(int (*action)(svc_t *, void *), char *buf, size_t len)
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 5a13a637..fb5b3ae5 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -1209,6 +1209,20 @@ int conf_init(uev_ctx_t *ctx)
 	/* Initialize global rlimits, e.g. for built-in services */
 	memcpy(global_rlimit, initial_rlimit, sizeof(global_rlimit));
 
+	/*
+	 * Start built-in watchdogd as soon as possible, if enabled
+	 */
+	if (whichp(FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/watchdogd") && fexist(WDT_DEVNODE)) {
+		service_register(SVC_TYPE_SERVICE, "[123456789] cgroup.init name:watchdog :finit " FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/watchdogd -- Finit watchdog daemon", global_rlimit, NULL);
+		wdog = svc_find("watchdog", "finit");
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Start kernel event daemon as soon as possible, if enabled
+	 */
+	if (whichp(FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/keventd"))
+		service_register(SVC_TYPE_SERVICE, "[123456789] cgroup.init " FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/keventd -- Finit kernel event daemon", global_rlimit, NULL);
+
 	dbg("Allow plugins to register early runlevel 1 run/task/services ...");
 	plugin_run_hooks(HOOK_SVC_PLUGIN);
 
diff --git a/src/finit.c b/src/finit.c
index 807bf2b5..640aea63 100644
--- a/src/finit.c
+++ b/src/finit.c
@@ -814,20 +814,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	conf_init(&loop);
 	conf_saverc();
 
-	/*
-	 * Start built-in watchdogd as soon as possible, if enabled
-	 */
-	if (whichp(FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/watchdogd") && fexist(WDT_DEVNODE)) {
-		service_register(SVC_TYPE_SERVICE, "[123456789] cgroup.init name:watchdog :finit " FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/watchdogd -- Finit watchdog daemon", global_rlimit, NULL);
-		wdog = svc_find("watchdog", "finit");
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * Start kernel event daemon as soon as possible, if enabled
-	 */
-	if (whichp(FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/keventd"))
-		service_register(SVC_TYPE_SERVICE, "[123456789] cgroup.init " FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/keventd -- Finit kernel event daemon", global_rlimit, NULL);
-
 	/*
 	 * Set up inotify watcher for /etc/finit.conf, /etc/finit.d, and
 	 * their deps, to figure out how to bootstrap the system.
diff --git a/src/private.h b/src/private.h
index fe790b5f..0fdac945 100644
--- a/src/private.h
+++ b/src/private.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 extern char *finit_conf;
 extern char *finit_rcsd;
-
+extern svc_t *wdog;
 extern int   service_interval;
 
 int          api_init         (uev_ctx_t *ctx);
diff --git a/src/sig.c b/src/sig.c
index 92a6ce59..142f06ea 100644
--- a/src/sig.c
+++ b/src/sig.c
@@ -97,8 +97,6 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "utmp-api.h"
 
-extern svc_t *wdog;
-
 /*
  * Old-style SysV shutdown sends a setenv cmd INIT_HALT with "=HALT",
  * "=POWERDOWN", or "" to cancel shutdown, before requesting change to