diff --git a/tests/rotctl.c b/tests/rotctl.c
index 944d5465a..e2d069364 100644
--- a/tests/rotctl.c
+++ b/tests/rotctl.c
@@ -138,8 +138,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     int interactive = 1; /* if no cmd on command line, switch to interactive */
     int prompt = 1;      /* Print prompt in rotctl */
     char send_cmd_term = '\r';  /* send_cmd termination char */
-    int ext_resp = 0;
-    char resp_sep = '\n';
 
     while (1)
     {
@@ -401,8 +399,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     do
     {
         retcode = rotctl_parse(my_rot, stdin, stdout, argv, argc,
-                               interactive, prompt, send_cmd_term,
-                               &ext_resp, &resp_sep);
+                               interactive, prompt, send_cmd_term);
 
         if (retcode == 2)
         {
diff --git a/tests/rotctl_parse.c b/tests/rotctl_parse.c
index 725f8b63f..beeed0d35 100644
--- a/tests/rotctl_parse.c
+++ b/tests/rotctl_parse.c
@@ -504,12 +504,13 @@ static int next_word(char *buffer, int argc, char *argv[], int newline)
 
 
 int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
-                 int interactive, int prompt, char send_cmd_term,
-                 int * ext_resp_ptr, char * resp_sep_ptr)
+                 int interactive, int prompt, char send_cmd_term)
 {
     int retcode;            /* generic return code from functions */
     unsigned char cmd;
     struct test_table *cmd_entry;
+    int ext_resp = 0;
+    char resp_sep = '\n';
 
     char command[MAXARGSZ + 1];
     char arg1[MAXARGSZ + 1], *p1 = NULL;
@@ -542,7 +543,7 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
                  */
                 if (cmd == '+' && !prompt)
                 {
-                    *ext_resp_ptr = 1;
+                    ext_resp = 1;
 
                     if (scanfc(fin, "%c", &cmd) < 1)
                     {
@@ -561,8 +562,8 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
                     && !prompt)
                 {
 
-                    *ext_resp_ptr = 1;
-                    *resp_sep_ptr = cmd;
+                    ext_resp = 1;
+                    resp_sep = cmd;
 
                     if (scanfc(fin, "%c", &cmd) < 1)
                     {
@@ -1400,7 +1401,7 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
      * Extended Response protocol: output received command name and arguments
      * response.
      */
-    if (interactive && *ext_resp_ptr && !prompt)
+    if (interactive && ext_resp && !prompt)
     {
         char a1[MAXARGSZ + 2];
         char a2[MAXARGSZ + 2];
@@ -1412,7 +1413,7 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
         p3 == NULL ? a3[0] = '\0' : snprintf(a3, sizeof(a3), " %s", p3);
         p4 == NULL ? a4[0] = '\0' : snprintf(a4, sizeof(a4), " %s", p4);
 
-        fprintf(fout, "%s:%s%s%s%s%c", cmd_entry->name, a1, a2, a3, a4, *resp_sep_ptr);
+        fprintf(fout, "%s:%s%s%s%s%c", cmd_entry->name, a1, a2, a3, a4, resp_sep);
     }
 
     retcode = (*cmd_entry->rot_routine)(my_rot,
@@ -1420,8 +1421,8 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
                                         interactive,
                                         prompt,
                                         send_cmd_term,
-                                        *ext_resp_ptr,
-                                        *resp_sep_ptr,
+                                        ext_resp,
+                                        resp_sep,
                                         cmd_entry,
                                         p1,
                                         p2 ? p2 : "",
@@ -1441,8 +1442,8 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
         if (interactive && !prompt)
         {
             fprintf(fout, NETROTCTL_RET "%d\n", retcode);
-            *ext_resp_ptr = 0;
-            *resp_sep_ptr = '\n';
+            ext_resp = 0;
+            resp_sep = '\n';
         }
         else
         {
@@ -1455,17 +1456,17 @@ int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
         if (interactive && !prompt)
         {
             /* netrotctl RIG_OK */
-            if (!(cmd_entry->flags & ARG_OUT) && !*ext_resp_ptr)
+            if (!(cmd_entry->flags & ARG_OUT) && !ext_resp)
             {
                 fprintf(fout, NETROTCTL_RET "0\n");
             }
 
             /* Extended Response protocol */
-            else if (*ext_resp_ptr && cmd != 0xf0)
+            else if (ext_resp && cmd != 0xf0)
             {
                 fprintf(fout, NETROTCTL_RET "0\n");
-                *ext_resp_ptr = 0;
-                *resp_sep_ptr = '\n';
+                ext_resp = 0;
+                resp_sep = '\n';
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/rotctl_parse.h b/tests/rotctl_parse.h
index 4c038b924..e546a7c70 100644
--- a/tests/rotctl_parse.h
+++ b/tests/rotctl_parse.h
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ int print_conf_list(const struct confparams *cfp, rig_ptr_t data);
 int set_conf(ROT *my_rot, char *conf_parms);
 
 int rotctl_parse(ROT *my_rot, FILE *fin, FILE *fout, char *argv[], int argc,
-                 int interactive, int prompt, char send_cmd_term,
-                 int * ext_resp_ptr, char * resp_sep_ptr);
+                 int interactive, int prompt, char send_cmd_term);
 
 #endif  /* ROTCTL_PARSE_H */
diff --git a/tests/rotctld.c b/tests/rotctld.c
index 660f771c0..8dfb5ecd4 100644
--- a/tests/rotctld.c
+++ b/tests/rotctld.c
@@ -591,8 +591,6 @@ void * handle_socket(void *arg)
     int retcode;
     char host[NI_MAXHOST];
     char serv[NI_MAXSERV];
-    int ext_resp = 0;
-    char resp_sep = '\n';
 
 #ifdef __MINGW32__
     int sock_osfhandle = _open_osfhandle(handle_data_arg->sock, _O_RDONLY);
@@ -629,8 +627,7 @@ void * handle_socket(void *arg)
 
     do
     {
-      retcode = rotctl_parse(handle_data_arg->rot, fsockin, fsockout, NULL, 0, 1,
-                             0, '\r', &ext_resp, &resp_sep);
+      retcode = rotctl_parse(handle_data_arg->rot, fsockin, fsockout, NULL, 0, 1, 0, '\r');
 
         if (ferror(fsockin) || ferror(fsockout))
         {