diff --git a/include/ncplugins.h b/include/ncplugins.h
index e6cee8bae7..c26b8fad54 100644
--- a/include/ncplugins.h
+++ b/include/ncplugins.h
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ extern "C" {
 
 /* Known Plugin Dispatchers */
 #ifdef USE_HDF5
-EXTERNL struct NC_PluginPathDispatch NC4_hdf5_pluginpathtable;
+EXTERNL NC_PluginPathDispatch* NC4_hdf5_pluginpathtable;
 #endif
 #ifdef NETCDF_ENABLE_NCZARR
-EXTERNL struct NC_PluginPathDispatch NCZ_pluginpathtable;
+EXTERNL NC_PluginPathDispatch* NCZ_pluginpathtable;
 #endif
 
 /* See the file netcdf_aux.h for plugin-related utility functions */
diff --git a/libhdf5/hdf5plugins.c b/libhdf5/hdf5plugins.c
index 0bf78b94a4..e1544aff59 100644
--- a/libhdf5/hdf5plugins.c
+++ b/libhdf5/hdf5plugins.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static int NC4_hdf5_plugin_path_write(void* state, size_t ndirs, char** const di
 /**************************************************/
 /* The HDF5 Plugin Path Dispatch table and functions */
 
-NC_PluginPathDispatch NC4_hdf5_pluginpathtable = {
+NC_PluginPathDispatch NC4_hdf5_pluginpathdispatch = {
     NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF5,
     NC_PLUGINPATH_DISPATCH_VERSION,
     NC4_hdf5_plugin_path_initialize,
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ NC_PluginPathDispatch NC4_hdf5_pluginpathtable = {
     NC4_hdf5_plugin_path_write
 };
 
+NC_PluginPathDispatch* NC4_hdf5_pluginpathtable = &NC4_hdf5_pluginpathdispatch;
+
 /**************************************************/
 
 /**
diff --git a/libnczarr/zplugins.c b/libnczarr/zplugins.c
index 618b4270ac..efb9c62efd 100644
--- a/libnczarr/zplugins.c
+++ b/libnczarr/zplugins.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static int pluginnamecheck(const char* name);
 
 /**************************************************/
 /* The NCZarr Plugin Path Dispatch table and functions */
-NC_PluginPathDispatch NCZ_pluginpathtable = {
+NC_PluginPathDispatch NCZ_pluginpathdispatch = {
     NC_FORMATX_NCZARR,
     NC_PLUGINPATH_DISPATCH_VERSION,
     NCZ_plugin_path_initialize,
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ NC_PluginPathDispatch NCZ_pluginpathtable = {
     NCZ_plugin_path_write,
 };
 
+NC_PluginPathDispatch* NCZ_pluginpathtable = &NCZ_pluginpathdispatch;
+
 /**************************************************/
 /**
  * This function is called as part of nc_initialize.