diff --git a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
index 4cd3f421df..8ed4d276e6 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm.cpp
@@ -58,8 +58,6 @@
 #define ROUNDOWN(a, b) (((a) / (b)) * (b))
 
 
-extern vm_address_space *gKernelAddressSpace;
-
 #define REGION_HASH_TABLE_SIZE 1024
 static area_id sNextAreaID;
 static hash_table *sAreaHash;
@@ -1321,7 +1319,7 @@ vm_clone_area(team_id team, const char *name, void **address, uint32 addressSpec
 	//	have been adapted. Maybe it should be part of the kernel settings,
 	//	anyway (so that old drivers can always work).
 #if 0
-	if (sourceArea->aspace == gKernelAddressSpace && addressSpace != gKernelAddressSpace
+	if (sourceArea->aspace == vm_kernel_address_space() && addressSpace != vm_kernel_address_space()
 		&& !(sourceArea->protection & B_USER_CLONEABLE_AREA)) {
 		// kernel areas must not be cloned in userland, unless explicitly
 		// declared user-cloneable upon construction
@@ -2574,7 +2572,7 @@ unmap_and_free_physical_pages(vm_translation_map *map, addr_t start, addr_t end)
 void
 vm_free_unused_boot_loader_range(addr_t start, addr_t size)
 {
-	vm_translation_map *map = &gKernelAddressSpace->translation_map;
+	vm_translation_map *map = &vm_kernel_address_space()->translation_map;
 	addr_t end = start + size;
 	addr_t lastEnd = start;
 	vm_area *area;
@@ -2587,7 +2585,7 @@ vm_free_unused_boot_loader_range(addr_t start, addr_t size)
 
 	map->ops->lock(map);
 
-	for (area = gKernelAddressSpace->areas; area; area = area->address_space_next) {
+	for (area = vm_kernel_address_space()->areas; area; area = area->address_space_next) {
 		addr_t areaStart = area->base;
 		addr_t areaEnd = areaStart + area->size;
 
@@ -2981,7 +2979,7 @@ vm_init_post_sem(kernel_args *args)
 	arch_vm_translation_map_init_post_sem(args);
 	vm_address_space_init_post_sem();
 
-	for (area = gKernelAddressSpace->areas; area; area = area->address_space_next) {
+	for (area = vm_kernel_address_space()->areas; area; area = area->address_space_next) {
 		if (area->id == RESERVED_AREA_ID)
 			continue;
 
@@ -3617,14 +3615,14 @@ found:
 status_t
 vm_get_physical_page(addr_t paddr, addr_t *_vaddr, uint32 flags)
 {
-	return (*gKernelAddressSpace->translation_map.ops->get_physical_page)(paddr, _vaddr, flags);
+	return (*vm_kernel_address_space()->translation_map.ops->get_physical_page)(paddr, _vaddr, flags);
 }
 
 
 status_t
 vm_put_physical_page(addr_t vaddr)
 {
-	return (*gKernelAddressSpace->translation_map.ops->put_physical_page)(vaddr);
+	return (*vm_kernel_address_space()->translation_map.ops->put_physical_page)(vaddr);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm_address_space.c b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm_address_space.c
index bdd68087e8..354a933451 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/vm/vm_address_space.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/vm/vm_address_space.c
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
 #	define TRACE(x) ;
 #endif
 
-vm_address_space *gKernelAddressSpace;
+
+static vm_address_space *sKernelAddressSpace;
 
 #define ASPACE_HASH_TABLE_SIZE 1024
 static void *sAddressSpaceTable;
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ delete_address_space(vm_address_space *addressSpace)
 {
 	TRACE(("delete_address_space: called on aspace 0x%lx\n", addressSpace->id));
 
-	if (addressSpace == gKernelAddressSpace)
+	if (addressSpace == sKernelAddressSpace)
 		panic("tried to delete the kernel aspace!\n");
 
 	// put this aspace in the deletion state
@@ -178,22 +179,22 @@ vm_address_space *
 vm_get_kernel_address_space(void)
 {
 	/* we can treat this one a little differently since it can't be deleted */
-	atomic_add(&gKernelAddressSpace->ref_count, 1);
-	return gKernelAddressSpace;
+	atomic_add(&sKernelAddressSpace->ref_count, 1);
+	return sKernelAddressSpace;
 }
 
 
 vm_address_space *
 vm_kernel_address_space(void)
 {
-	return gKernelAddressSpace;
+	return sKernelAddressSpace;
 }
 
 
 team_id
 vm_kernel_address_space_id(void)
 {
-	return gKernelAddressSpace->id;
+	return sKernelAddressSpace->id;
 }
 
 
@@ -354,11 +355,11 @@ vm_address_space_init(void)
 			panic("vm_init: error creating aspace hash table\n");
 	}
 
-	gKernelAddressSpace = NULL;
+	sKernelAddressSpace = NULL;
 
 	// create the initial kernel address space
 	if (vm_create_address_space(1, KERNEL_BASE, KERNEL_SIZE,
-			true, &gKernelAddressSpace) != B_OK)
+			true, &sKernelAddressSpace) != B_OK)
 		panic("vm_init: error creating kernel address space!\n");
 
 	add_debugger_command("aspaces", &dump_aspace_list, "Dump a list of all address spaces");
@@ -371,11 +372,11 @@ vm_address_space_init(void)
 status_t
 vm_address_space_init_post_sem(void)
 {
-	status_t status = arch_vm_translation_map_init_kernel_map_post_sem(&gKernelAddressSpace->translation_map);
+	status_t status = arch_vm_translation_map_init_kernel_map_post_sem(&sKernelAddressSpace->translation_map);
 	if (status < B_OK)
 		return status;
 
-	status = gKernelAddressSpace->sem = create_sem(WRITE_COUNT, "kernel_aspacelock");
+	status = sKernelAddressSpace->sem = create_sem(WRITE_COUNT, "kernel_aspacelock");
 	if (status < B_OK)
 		return status;