diff --git a/crypto/x509/by_dir.c b/crypto/x509/by_dir.c
index c9bfe40ab..620734047 100644
--- a/crypto/x509/by_dir.c
+++ b/crypto/x509/by_dir.c
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ static int get_cert_by_subject(X509_LOOKUP *xl, int type, X509_NAME *name,
 			{
 			char c = '/';
 #ifdef OPENSSL_SYS_VMS
-			char c = ctx->dirs[i][strlen(ctx->dirs[i])-1];
+			c = ctx->dirs[i][strlen(ctx->dirs[i])-1];
 			if (c != ':' && c != '>' && c != ']')
 				{
 				/* If no separator is present, we assume the