diff --git a/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.c b/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.c
index a45f4f6e7462ac46de7ab8bbca44098a91090188..e66a1f3c91240ae3697cf1378fd85966ae5c806d 100644
--- a/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.c
+++ b/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <src/common/xmalloc.h>
 
 
-uint32_t debug = false ;
+extern uint32_t debug ;
 
 extern int errno ;
 
@@ -169,12 +169,12 @@ slurm_fd slurm_open_stream ( slurm_addr * slurm_address )
 	return _slurm_open_stream ( slurm_address ) ;
 }
 
-ssize_t slurm_write_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size )
+size_t slurm_write_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size )
 {
 	return _slurm_send ( open_fd , buffer , size , NO_SEND_RECV_FLAGS ) ;
 }
 
-ssize_t slurm_read_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size )
+size_t slurm_read_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size )
 {
 	return _slurm_recv ( open_fd , buffer , size , NO_SEND_RECV_FLAGS ) ;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.h b/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.h
index f69b6c752455ad0e367861e958dbf22c4c80e99f..abc76d68a77d5158580ff13cc360372a19aac335 100644
--- a/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.h
+++ b/src/common/slurm_protocol_api.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <src/common/slurm_protocol_common.h>
+#include <src/common/slurm_protocol_util.h>
+#include <src/common/slurm_protocol_defs.h>
 
 /* high level routines */
 /* message functions */
@@ -17,8 +19,8 @@ uint32_t slurm_shutdown_message_engine ( slurm_fd open_fd ) ;
 slurm_fd slurm_listen_stream ( slurm_addr * slurm_address ) ;
 slurm_fd slurm_accept_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , slurm_addr * slurm_address ) ;
 slurm_fd slurm_open_stream ( slurm_addr * slurm_address )	;
-ssize_t slurm_write_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size ) ;
-ssize_t slurm_read_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size ) ;
+size_t slurm_write_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size ) ;
+size_t slurm_read_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd , char * buffer , size_t size ) ;
 uint32_t slurm_close_stream ( slurm_fd open_fd ) ;
 	
 
diff --git a/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.h b/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.h
index a629444fb3ace9d1f5727bb03da4d10be93b89d9..0f94dc4fbef7c33e80fbad9633962c44fcf0a6d3 100644
--- a/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.h
+++ b/src/common/slurm_protocol_util.h
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef _SLURM_PROTOCOL_UTIL_H
+#define _SLURM_PROTOCOL_UTIL_H
 
 #include <src/common/slurm_protocol_defs.h>
 #include <src/common/slurm_protocol_common.h>