diff --git a/sql/sql_prepare.cc b/sql/sql_prepare.cc
index 879ea626494..624eccd2d67 100644
--- a/sql/sql_prepare.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_prepare.cc
@@ -118,9 +118,18 @@ public:
   bool deallocate();
 
   /* Possible values of flags */
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER < 1300
+  static const int IS_IN_USE;
+#else
   static const int IS_IN_USE= 1;
+#endif
 };
 
+/* VC6 can't handle initializing in declaration */
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER < 1300
+const int Prepared_statement::IS_IN_USE= 1;
+#endif
+
 /******************************************************************************
   Implementation
 ******************************************************************************/