diff --git a/tests/rigctl.c b/tests/rigctl.c
index 0e6c11ccf..a10106f25 100644
--- a/tests/rigctl.c
+++ b/tests/rigctl.c
@@ -124,11 +124,11 @@ static const int have_rl = 1;
 #endif
 
 
-int interactive = 1;    /* if no cmd on command line, switch to interactive */
-int prompt = 1;         /* Print prompt in rigctl */
-int vfo_mode = 0;       /* vfo_mode = 0 means target VFO is 'currVFO' */
+thread_local int interactive = 1;    /* if no cmd on command line, switch to interactive */
+thread_local int prompt = 1;         /* Print prompt in rigctl */
+thread_local int vfo_mode = 0;       /* vfo_mode = 0 means target VFO is 'currVFO' */
 
-char send_cmd_term = '\r';  /* send_cmd termination char */
+thread_local char send_cmd_term = '\r';  /* send_cmd termination char */
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
diff --git a/tests/rigctl_parse.c b/tests/rigctl_parse.c
index 350027968..d27dfa8c4 100644
--- a/tests/rigctl_parse.c
+++ b/tests/rigctl_parse.c
@@ -587,17 +587,12 @@ static int next_word(char *buffer, int argc, char *argv[], int newline)
     })
 
 
-extern int interactive;
-extern int prompt;
-extern int vfo_mode;
-extern char send_cmd_term;
-int ext_resp = 0;
-unsigned char resp_sep = '\n';      /* Default response separator */
-/* Note that vfo_mode and ext_resp are not thread safe
- * So to run either a vfo_mode or ext_resp mode rigctld it needs to be
- * on a separate rigctld instance on a different port.  One port per vfo_mode/ext_resp combination for a maximum of 4 instances/ports to cover all 4 combos
- * Significant rewrite to fix this for 1 instance
- */
+extern thread_local int interactive;
+extern thread_local int prompt;
+extern thread_local int vfo_mode;
+extern thread_local char send_cmd_term;
+thread_local int ext_resp = 0;
+thread_local unsigned char resp_sep = '\n';      /* Default response separator */
 
 int rigctl_parse(RIG *my_rig, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc, sync_cb_t sync_cb)
 {
diff --git a/tests/rigctlcom.c b/tests/rigctlcom.c
index ff2cb7bcd..781605e19 100644
--- a/tests/rigctlcom.c
+++ b/tests/rigctlcom.c
@@ -128,11 +128,11 @@ static sig_atomic_t volatile ctrl_c;
 static int volatile ctrl_c;
 #endif
 
-int interactive = 1;            /* no cmd because of daemon */
-int prompt = 0;                 /* Daemon mode for rigparse return string */
-int vfo_mode = 0;               /* vfo_mode=0 means target VFO is current VFO */
+thread_local int interactive = 1;            /* no cmd because of daemon */
+thread_local int prompt = 0;                 /* Daemon mode for rigparse return string */
+thread_local int vfo_mode = 0;               /* vfo_mode=0 means target VFO is current VFO */
 
-char send_cmd_term = '\r';      /* send_cmd termination char */
+thread_local char send_cmd_term = '\r';      /* send_cmd termination char */
 
 #define MAXCONFLEN 128
 
diff --git a/tests/rigctld.c b/tests/rigctld.c
index 38dd2aee8..8839d7bc8 100644
--- a/tests/rigctld.c
+++ b/tests/rigctld.c
@@ -137,11 +137,11 @@ static sig_atomic_t volatile ctrl_c;
 static int volatile ctrl_c;
 #endif
 
-int interactive = 1;    /* no cmd because of daemon */
-int prompt = 0;         /* Daemon mode for rigparse return string */
-int vfo_mode = 0;       /* vfo_mode=0 means target VFO is current VFO */
+thread_local int interactive = 1;    /* no cmd because of daemon */
+thread_local int prompt = 0;         /* Daemon mode for rigparse return string */
+thread_local int vfo_mode = 0;       /* vfo_mode=0 means target VFO is current VFO */
 
-char send_cmd_term = '\r';  /* send_cmd termination char */
+thread_local char send_cmd_term = '\r';  /* send_cmd termination char */
 
 const char *portno = "4532";
 const char *src_addr = NULL; /* INADDR_ANY */
diff --git a/tests/rotctl.c b/tests/rotctl.c
index 0d79f562a..1e00a04a4 100644
--- a/tests/rotctl.c
+++ b/tests/rotctl.c
@@ -112,10 +112,10 @@ static const int have_rl = 1;
 #endif
 
 
-int interactive = 1;    /* if no cmd on command line, switch to interactive */
-int prompt = 1;         /* Print prompt in rotctl */
+thread_local int interactive = 1;    /* if no cmd on command line, switch to interactive */
+thread_local int prompt = 1;         /* Print prompt in rotctl */
 
-char send_cmd_term = '\r';      /* send_cmd termination char */
+thread_local char send_cmd_term = '\r';      /* send_cmd termination char */
 
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/tests/rotctl_parse.c b/tests/rotctl_parse.c
index 7fedca4ad..3406132fa 100644
--- a/tests/rotctl_parse.c
+++ b/tests/rotctl_parse.c
@@ -495,11 +495,11 @@ static int next_word(char *buffer, int argc, char *argv[], int newline)
     })
 
 
-extern int interactive;
-extern int prompt;
-extern char send_cmd_term;
-int ext_resp = 0;
-unsigned char resp_sep = '\n';      /* Default response separator */
+extern thread_local int interactive;
+extern thread_local int prompt;
+extern thread_local char send_cmd_term;
+thread_local int ext_resp = 0;
+thread_local unsigned char resp_sep = '\n';      /* Default response separator */
 
 
 int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc)
diff --git a/tests/rotctld.c b/tests/rotctld.c
index 660a7d450..3dcc10b3e 100644
--- a/tests/rotctld.c
+++ b/tests/rotctld.c
@@ -103,13 +103,13 @@ static struct option long_options[] =
     {0, 0, 0, 0}
 };
 
-int interactive = 1;    /* no cmd because of daemon */
-int prompt = 0 ;        /* Daemon mode for rigparse return string */
+thread_local int interactive = 1;    /* no cmd because of daemon */
+thread_local int prompt = 0 ;        /* Daemon mode for rigparse return string */
 
-const char *portno = "4533";
-const char *src_addr = NULL;    /* INADDR_ANY */
+thread_local const char *portno = "4533";
+thread_local const char *src_addr = NULL;    /* INADDR_ANY */
 
-char send_cmd_term = '\r';      /* send_cmd termination char */
+thread_local char send_cmd_term = '\r';      /* send_cmd termination char */
 
 #define MAXCONFLEN 128