diff --git a/src/motif/app.cpp b/src/motif/app.cpp
index a723826ec3..d17e8fc734 100644
--- a/src/motif/app.cpp
+++ b/src/motif/app.cpp
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ void wxApp::SetTopLevelWidget(WXDisplay* display, WXWidget widget)
 
 bool wxApp::Yield(bool onlyIfNeeded)
 {
-    bool s_inYield = FALSE;
+    static bool s_inYield = FALSE;
 
     if ( s_inYield )
     {
diff --git a/src/x11/app.cpp b/src/x11/app.cpp
index 306e7b4081..1c924a1822 100644
--- a/src/x11/app.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/app.cpp
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ bool wxApp::Yield(bool onlyIfNeeded)
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i < 2; i++)
     {
-        bool s_inYield = FALSE;
+        static bool s_inYield = FALSE;
 
         if ( s_inYield )
         {