diff --git a/wled00/ntp.cpp b/wled00/ntp.cpp
index 6e57f8cad3..e791d05741 100644
--- a/wled00/ntp.cpp
+++ b/wled00/ntp.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
 static void sendNTPPacket();
 static bool checkNTPResponse();
 
+// Runtime state private to this file - previously WLED_GLOBAL, a leftover from
+// when all state lived in one big extern block regardless of who used it.
+static byte lastTimerMinute = 0;
+static unsigned long ntpPacketSentTime = NTP_NEVER;
+static IPAddress ntpServerIP;
+
 
 // WARNING: may cause errors in sunset calculations on ESP8266, see #3400
 // building with `-D WLED_USE_REAL_MATH` will prevent those errors at the expense of flash and RAM
diff --git a/wled00/wled.h b/wled00/wled.h
index 9bafb49196..182847df3f 100644
--- a/wled00/wled.h
+++ b/wled00/wled.h
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ WLED_GLOBAL bool hueStoreAllowed _INIT(false), hueNewKey _INIT(false);
 WLED_GLOBAL unsigned long countdownTime _INIT(1514764800L);
 WLED_GLOBAL bool countdownOverTriggered _INIT(true);
 
-WLED_GLOBAL byte lastTimerMinute  _INIT(0);
+// lastTimerMinute is private to ntp.cpp - see there.
 WLED_GLOBAL std::vector<Timer> timers;
 WLED_GLOBAL bool doAdvancePlaylist _INIT(false);
 
@@ -755,8 +755,7 @@ WLED_GLOBAL DNSServer dnsServer;
 WLED_GLOBAL bool ntpConnected _INIT(false);
 WLED_GLOBAL time_t localTime _INIT(0);
 WLED_GLOBAL unsigned long ntpLastSyncTime _INIT(NTP_NEVER);
-WLED_GLOBAL unsigned long ntpPacketSentTime _INIT(NTP_NEVER);
-WLED_GLOBAL IPAddress ntpServerIP;
+// ntpPacketSentTime/ntpServerIP are private to ntp.cpp - see there.
 WLED_GLOBAL uint16_t ntpLocalPort _INIT(2390);
 WLED_GLOBAL uint16_t rolloverMillis _INIT(0);
 WLED_GLOBAL float longitude _INIT(WLED_LON);