diff --git a/fs/cifs/winucase.c b/fs/cifs/winucase.c
index 63cca4aa32da..1506d4fddb2c 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/winucase.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/winucase.c
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 
 #include <linux/nls.h>
 
+wchar_t cifs_toupper(wchar_t in);  /* quiet sparse */
+
 static const wchar_t t2_00[256] = {
 	0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000,
 	0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000,