diff --git a/src/s/hpux.h b/src/s/hpux.h
index 5f407a661e1..aad30c0a6d5 100644
--- a/src/s/hpux.h
+++ b/src/s/hpux.h
@@ -167,9 +167,12 @@ Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.  */
 
 /* USG systems tend to put everything declared static
    into the initialized data area, which becomes pure after dumping Emacs.
-   Foil this.  Emacs carefully avoids static vars inside functions.  */
+   Foil this.  Emacs carefully avoids static vars inside functions.
+   As of at least HPUX 11.11 (2000), it seems this workaround is no
+   longer needed.  Try uncommenting the following if you have problems
+   on older versions.  */
 
-#define static
+/*#define static */
 
 /* Define extra libraries to load.
    This should have -lBSD, but that library is said to make