diff --git a/Objects/stringobject.c b/Objects/stringobject.c
index 7e3a84e6d25..887b28a70ba 100644
--- a/Objects/stringobject.c
+++ b/Objects/stringobject.c
@@ -2847,7 +2847,6 @@ static PyObject *
 string_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 {
 	PyObject *x = NULL, *it;
-	PyObject *(*iternext)(PyObject *);
 	const char *encoding = NULL;
 	const char *errors = NULL;
 	PyObject *new = NULL;