diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/utils.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/utils.c
index 72c5e9010..f8a71db8d 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/utils.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/utils.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ int get_runtime_dir(char *buf, size_t buflen, const char *dir)
 {
 	const char *runtime_dir;
 	struct stat stat_buf;
+	char buffer[4096];
 	int res, size;
 
 	runtime_dir = getenv("PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH");
@@ -64,7 +65,6 @@ int get_runtime_dir(char *buf, size_t buflen, const char *dir)
 		runtime_dir = getenv("HOME");
 	if (runtime_dir == NULL) {
 		struct passwd pwd, *result = NULL;
-		char buffer[4096];
 		if (getpwuid_r(getuid(), &pwd, buffer, sizeof(buffer), &result) == 0)
 			runtime_dir = result ? result->pw_dir : NULL;
 	}