diff --git a/avconv.c b/avconv.c
index 7142ab41e9..439672a346 100644
--- a/avconv.c
+++ b/avconv.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ typedef struct MetadataMap {
     int  index;     ///< stream/chapter/program number
 } MetadataMap;
 
-static const OptionDef options[];
+static const OptionDef *options;
 
 static int video_discard = 0;
 static int same_quant = 0;
@@ -4858,7 +4858,7 @@ static int opt_filter_complex(const char *opt, const char *arg)
 }
 
 #define OFFSET(x) offsetof(OptionsContext, x)
-static const OptionDef options[] = {
+static const OptionDef real_options[] = {
     /* main options */
 #include "cmdutils_common_opts.h"
     { "f", HAS_ARG | OPT_STRING | OPT_OFFSET, {.off = OFFSET(format)}, "force format", "fmt" },
@@ -4975,6 +4975,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     OptionsContext o = { 0 };
     int64_t ti;
 
+    options = real_options;
     reset_options(&o);
 
     av_log_set_flags(AV_LOG_SKIP_REPEATED);
diff --git a/avprobe.c b/avprobe.c
index 8e93d05ae9..aa7dae404f 100644
--- a/avprobe.c
+++ b/avprobe.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static int use_byte_value_binary_prefix = 0;
 static int use_value_sexagesimal_format = 0;
 
 /* globals */
-static const OptionDef options[];
+static const OptionDef *options;
 
 /* AVprobe context */
 static const char *input_filename;
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ static void opt_pretty(void)
     use_value_sexagesimal_format = 1;
 }
 
-static const OptionDef options[] = {
+static const OptionDef real_options[] = {
 #include "cmdutils_common_opts.h"
     { "f", HAS_ARG, {(void*)opt_format}, "force format", "format" },
     { "of", HAS_ARG, {(void*)&opt_output_format}, "output the document either as ini or json", "output_format" },
@@ -927,6 +927,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (!buffer)
         exit(1);
 
+    options = real_options;
     parse_loglevel(argc, argv, options);
     av_register_all();
     avformat_network_init();