diff --git a/hermit/kernel/syscall.c b/hermit/kernel/syscall.c
index dcdfd07d1..47c5980d5 100644
--- a/hermit/kernel/syscall.c
+++ b/hermit/kernel/syscall.c
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ typedef struct {
 ssize_t sys_write(int fd, const char* buf, size_t len)
 {
 	ssize_t i, ret;
-	int flag;
 	sys_write_t sysargs = {__NR_write, fd, len};
 
 	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!buf, 0))