diff --git a/desmume/src/frontend/interface/interface.cpp b/desmume/src/frontend/interface/interface.cpp
index bb731db2c..7a1c003cf 100644
--- a/desmume/src/frontend/interface/interface.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/frontend/interface/interface.cpp
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ EXPORTED void desmume_input_joy_uninit(void)
 
 EXPORTED u16 desmume_input_joy_number_connected(void)
 {
-    return nbr_joy;
+    return get_number_of_joysticks();
 }
 
 EXPORTED u16 desmume_input_joy_get_key(int index)
diff --git a/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.cpp b/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.cpp
index bbf8d2ab8..ff8edde54 100644
--- a/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ u32 joypad_cfg[NB_KEYS];
 
 static_assert(sizeof(keyboard_cfg) == sizeof(joypad_cfg), "");
 
-u16 nbr_joy;
 mouse_status mouse;
 static int fullscreen;
 
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ BOOL init_joy( void) {
   for(i=0; i<MAX_JOYSTICKS; ++i)
     open_joysticks[i]=std::make_pair((SDL_Joystick*)NULL, 0);
 
-  nbr_joy = std::min(SDL_NumJoysticks(), MAX_JOYSTICKS);
+  int nbr_joy = std::min(SDL_NumJoysticks(), MAX_JOYSTICKS);
 
   if ( nbr_joy > 0) {
     printf("Found %d joysticks\n", nbr_joy);
@@ -156,7 +155,6 @@ void uninit_joy( void)
     }
   }
   
-  nbr_joy = 0;
   SDL_QuitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_JOYSTICK);
 }
 
diff --git a/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.h b/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.h
index b4ab623eb..a7a2980b9 100644
--- a/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.h
+++ b/desmume/src/frontend/posix/shared/ctrlssdl.h
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ extern const char *key_names[NB_KEYS];
 extern u32 keyboard_cfg[NB_KEYS];
 /* Current joypad configuration */
 extern u32 joypad_cfg[NB_KEYS];
-/* Number of detected joypads */
-extern u16 nbr_joy;
 
 #ifndef GTK_UI
 struct mouse_status