diff --git a/opcodes/ChangeLog b/opcodes/ChangeLog
index a82f261167..4d8dfe1bf5 100644
--- a/opcodes/ChangeLog
+++ b/opcodes/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2019-12-10  Alan Modra  <amodra@gmail.com>
+
+	* ppc-dis.c (private): Delete variable.
+	(get_powerpc_dialect): Don't segfault on NULL info->private_data.
+	(powerpc_init_dialect): Don't use global private.
+
 2019-12-10  Alan Modra  <amodra@gmail.com>
 
 	* s12z-opc.c: Formatting.
diff --git a/opcodes/ppc-dis.c b/opcodes/ppc-dis.c
index 2f5756b6cc..9add60272a 100644
--- a/opcodes/ppc-dis.c
+++ b/opcodes/ppc-dis.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ struct dis_private
 {
   /* Stash the result of parsing disassembler_options here.  */
   ppc_cpu_t dialect;
-} private;
+};
 
 #define POWERPC_DIALECT(INFO) \
   (((struct dis_private *) ((INFO)->private_data))->dialect)
@@ -259,7 +259,8 @@ get_powerpc_dialect (struct disassemble_info *info)
 {
   ppc_cpu_t dialect = 0;
 
-  dialect = POWERPC_DIALECT (info);
+  if (info->private_data)
+    dialect = POWERPC_DIALECT (info);
 
   /* Disassemble according to the section headers flags for VLE-mode.  */
   if (dialect & PPC_OPCODE_VLE
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ powerpc_init_dialect (struct disassemble_info *info)
   struct dis_private *priv = calloc (sizeof (*priv), 1);
 
   if (priv == NULL)
-    priv = &private;
+    return;
 
   switch (info->mach)
     {