diff --git a/tools/virtio/linux/module.h b/tools/virtio/linux/module.h
index 3039a7e972b6..28ce95a05997 100644
--- a/tools/virtio/linux/module.h
+++ b/tools/virtio/linux/module.h
@@ -1 +1,6 @@
 #include <linux/export.h>
+
+#define MODULE_LICENSE(__MODULE_LICENSE_value) \
+	static __attribute__((unused)) const char *__MODULE_LICENSE_name = \
+		__MODULE_LICENSE_value
+
diff --git a/tools/virtio/linux/virtio.h b/tools/virtio/linux/virtio.h
index cd801838156f..844783040703 100644
--- a/tools/virtio/linux/virtio.h
+++ b/tools/virtio/linux/virtio.h
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@ struct virtqueue {
 	void *priv;
 };
 
-#define MODULE_LICENSE(__MODULE_LICENSE_value) \
-	const char *__MODULE_LICENSE_name = __MODULE_LICENSE_value
-
 /* Interfaces exported by virtio_ring. */
 int virtqueue_add_sgs(struct virtqueue *vq,
 		      struct scatterlist *sgs[],