diff --git a/Python/pathconfig.c b/Python/pathconfig.c
index fe3ac3e..5c38041 100644
--- a/Python/pathconfig.c
+++ b/Python/pathconfig.c
@@ -686,6 +686,7 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_READLINK
     wchar_t link[MAXPATHLEN + 1];
     int nr = 0;
+    wchar_t path0copy[2 * MAXPATHLEN + 1];
 
     if (have_script_arg) {
         nr = _Py_wreadlink(path0, link, Py_ARRAY_LENGTH(link));
@@ -708,7 +709,6 @@
             }
             else {
                 /* Must make a copy, path0copy has room for 2 * MAXPATHLEN */
-                wchar_t path0copy[2 * MAXPATHLEN + 1];
                 wcsncpy(path0copy, path0, MAXPATHLEN);
                 q = wcsrchr(path0copy, SEP);
                 wcsncpy(q+1, link, MAXPATHLEN);