diff --git a/wmud/configuration.c b/wmud/configuration.c
index 1519e57..52ae275 100644
--- a/wmud/configuration.c
+++ b/wmud/configuration.c
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-/**
- * WMUD_CONFIG_ERROR:
- *
- * the GQuark for the config error GError
- */
-GQuark WMUD_CONFIG_ERROR = 0;
 /**
  * active_config:
  *
@@ -46,6 +40,12 @@ GQuark WMUD_CONFIG_ERROR = 0;
  */
 ConfigData *active_config = NULL;
 
+GQuark
+wmud_config_error_quark()
+{
+	return g_quark_from_static_string("wmud-config-error");
+}
+
 /**
  * wmud_configdata_free:
  * @config_data: pointer to the ConfigData struct to free
diff --git a/wmud/configuration.h b/wmud/configuration.h
index e0329f9..c5230c5 100644
--- a/wmud/configuration.h
+++ b/wmud/configuration.h
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-extern GQuark WMUD_CONFIG_ERROR;
+#define WMUD_CONFIG_ERROR wmud_config_error_quark()
+GQuark wmud_config_error_quark();
+
 
 /**
  * wmudConfigError:
diff --git a/wmud/db.c b/wmud/db.c
index 6bdaad0..c80c4a0 100644
--- a/wmud/db.c
+++ b/wmud/db.c
@@ -36,14 +36,14 @@
  * different (e.g MySQL or PostgreSQL) database.
  */
 
-/**
- * WMUD_DB_ERROR:
- *
- * the GQuark for the database error GError
- */
-GQuark WMUD_DB_ERROR = 0;
 static sqlite3 *dbh = NULL;
 
+GQuark
+wmud_db_error_quark()
+{
+	return g_quark_from_static_string("wmud-db-error");
+}
+
 /**
  * wmud_db_init:
  * @err: a GError to put error messages in it
diff --git a/wmud/db.h b/wmud/db.h
index 0bc8068..80d5dba 100644
--- a/wmud/db.h
+++ b/wmud/db.h
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
 
 #include "wmud-types.h"
 
-extern GQuark WMUD_DB_ERROR;
+#define WMUD_DB_ERROR wmud_db_error_quark()
+GQuark wmud_db_error_quark();
 
 /**
  * wmudDbError:
diff --git a/wmud/interpreter.c b/wmud/interpreter.c
index a827f41..a41c6fa 100644
--- a/wmud/interpreter.c
+++ b/wmud/interpreter.c
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ static wmudCommand command_list[] = {
 	{ NULL,   NULL },
 };
 
+GQuark
+wmud_interpreter_error_quark()
+{
+	return g_quark_from_static_string("wmud-interpreter-error");
+}
+
 /**
  * destroy_string:
  * @string: a GString to destroy
diff --git a/wmud/interpreter.h b/wmud/interpreter.h
index dc2593b..b4093c5 100644
--- a/wmud/interpreter.h
+++ b/wmud/interpreter.h
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ typedef struct _wmudCommand {
 	wmudCommandFunc commandFunc;
 } wmudCommand;
 
-GQuark WMUD_INTERPRETER_ERROR;
+#define WMUD_INTERPRETER_ERROR wmud_interpreter_error_quark()
+GQuark wmud_interpreter_error_quark();
 
 typedef enum {
 	WMUD_INTERPRETER_ERROR_DUPCMD
diff --git a/wmud/main.c b/wmud/main.c
index 6711cb8..e9fa6d6 100644
--- a/wmud/main.c
+++ b/wmud/main.c
@@ -121,10 +121,6 @@ debug_context(char *file, int line)
 void
 wmud_type_init(void)
 {
-	WMUD_CONFIG_ERROR = g_quark_from_string("wmud-config-error");
-	WMUD_DB_ERROR = g_quark_from_string("wmud-db-error");
-	WMUD_INTERPRETER_ERROR = g_quark_from_string("wmud-interpreter-error");
-	WMUD_WORLD_ERROR = g_quark_from_string("wmud-world-error");
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/wmud/world.c b/wmud/world.c
index 13b55d1..b4e834d 100644
--- a/wmud/world.c
+++ b/wmud/world.c
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ struct dirCheckData {
 	gboolean sane;
 };
 
-GQuark WMUD_WORLD_ERROR = 0;
+GQuark
+wmud_world_error_quark()
+{
+	return g_quark_from_static_string("wmud-world-error");
+}
 
 static gint
 check_plane_dups2(wmudPlane *plane, gchar *name)
diff --git a/wmud/world.h b/wmud/world.h
index 6029e0e..384df46 100644
--- a/wmud/world.h
+++ b/wmud/world.h
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-extern GQuark WMUD_WORLD_ERROR;
+#define WMUD_WORLD_ERROR wmud_world_error_quark()
+GQuark wmud_world_error_quark();
+
 typedef enum {
 	WMUD_WORLD_ERROR_DUPPLANE,
 	WMUD_WORLD_ERROR_DUPPLANET,