diff --git a/src/util/serialize.cpp b/src/util/serialize.cpp
index 49db9cf85..a272d82ee 100644
--- a/src/util/serialize.cpp
+++ b/src/util/serialize.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <vector>
 
-SerializationError eof_ser_err("Attempted read past end of data");
-
 ////
 //// BufReader
 ////
diff --git a/src/util/serialize.h b/src/util/serialize.h
index 0a1c96205..f2b0dab2f 100644
--- a/src/util/serialize.h
+++ b/src/util/serialize.h
@@ -428,8 +428,6 @@ bool deSerializeStringToStruct(std::string valstr,
 //// BufReader
 ////
 
-extern SerializationError eof_ser_err;
-
 #define MAKE_BUFREADER_GETNOEX_FXN(T, N, S) \
 	inline bool get ## N ## NoEx(T *val)    \
 	{                                       \
@@ -445,7 +443,7 @@ extern SerializationError eof_ser_err;
 	{                                \
 		T val;                       \
 		if (!get ## N ## NoEx(&val)) \
-			throw eof_ser_err;       \
+			throw SerializationError("Attempted read past end of data"); \
 		return val;                  \
 	}
 
@@ -502,7 +500,7 @@ class BufReader {
 	inline void getRawData(void *val, size_t len)
 	{
 		if (!getRawDataNoEx(val, len))
-			throw eof_ser_err;
+			throw SerializationError("Attempted read past end of data");
 	}
 
 	inline size_t remaining()