diff --git a/clients/fcatcmd.c b/clients/fcatcmd.c
index 92e8ae6..85e3506 100644
--- a/clients/fcatcmd.c
+++ b/clients/fcatcmd.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "client_def.h"
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #ifdef STDC_HEADERS
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/clients/fcdcmd.c b/clients/fcdcmd.c
index 175764b..63f4475 100644
--- a/clients/fcdcmd.c
+++ b/clients/fcdcmd.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #include "printpro.h"
 
 static int f_cd PROTO1(const char *, p)
diff --git a/clients/fducmd.c b/clients/fducmd.c
index 72012b1..83e5e45 100644
--- a/clients/fducmd.c
+++ b/clients/fducmd.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #ifdef STDC_HEADERS
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/clients/ffindcmd.c b/clients/ffindcmd.c
index b0b672b..f1ecc54 100644
--- a/clients/ffindcmd.c
+++ b/clients/ffindcmd.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include "client_def.h"
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <time.h>
diff --git a/clients/fgetcmd.c b/clients/fgetcmd.c
index eb84fd1..75450f1 100644
--- a/clients/fgetcmd.c
+++ b/clients/fgetcmd.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <utime.h>
 #endif
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 
 #if !defined(COMMAND_GRAB) && !defined(COMMAND_GET)
 #error "#define COMMAND_XXX to GET or GRAB when compiling this file"
diff --git a/clients/fhostcmd.c b/clients/fhostcmd.c
index 372d772..286b8af 100644
--- a/clients/fhostcmd.c
+++ b/clients/fhostcmd.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #include <pwd.h>
 #ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
 #include <unistd.h>
diff --git a/clients/flscmd.c b/clients/flscmd.c
index bdbef66..cd401f3 100644
--- a/clients/flscmd.c
+++ b/clients/flscmd.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
 #include "ls.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #ifdef STDC_HEADERS
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/clients/fmkdir.c b/clients/fmkdir.c
index 63cbed4..616183f 100644
--- a/clients/fmkdir.c
+++ b/clients/fmkdir.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 
 static int make_dir PROTO1(char *, p)
 {
diff --git a/clients/fprocmd.c b/clients/fprocmd.c
index aa2d80a..27c1fed 100644
--- a/clients/fprocmd.c
+++ b/clients/fprocmd.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #ifdef STDC_HEADERS
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/clients/fput.c b/clients/fput.c
index 35c9128..2da2e8e 100644
--- a/clients/fput.c
+++ b/clients/fput.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 
 static int timestamps=0;
 static int optletter;
diff --git a/clients/frmcmd.c b/clients/frmcmd.c
index 47784a2..797f8c3 100644
--- a/clients/frmcmd.c
+++ b/clients/frmcmd.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 
 static int remove_it PROTO1(char *, p)
 {
diff --git a/clients/frmdircmd.c b/clients/frmdircmd.c
index d607e1c..97c72f8 100644
--- a/clients/frmdircmd.c
+++ b/clients/frmdircmd.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include "my-string.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 
 static int remove_it PROTO1(char *, p)
 {
diff --git a/clients/fstatcmd.c b/clients/fstatcmd.c
index fb6cac4..44d654e 100644
--- a/clients/fstatcmd.c
+++ b/clients/fstatcmd.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "c_extern.h"
 #include "bsd_extern.h"
 #include "co_extern.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #ifdef STDC_HEADERS
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/clients/fver.c b/clients/fver.c
index 84fc11b..3f13bd8 100644
--- a/clients/fver.c
+++ b/clients/fver.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "tweak.h"
 #include "client_def.h"
 #include "c_extern.h"
+#include "merge.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #ifdef STDC_HEADERS
 #include <stdlib.h>
diff --git a/clients/merge.c b/clients/merge.c
index 2068c0f..16096fd 100644
--- a/clients/merge.c
+++ b/clients/merge.c
@@ -16,23 +16,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include "my-string.h"
-
-/* prototypes */
-int fcatcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fcdcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fgetcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fgrabcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int flscmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fmkdir_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fprocmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fput_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int frmcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int frmdircmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fver_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fducmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fhostcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int ffindcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
-int fstatcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+#include "merge.h"
 
 int main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv)
 {
diff --git a/clients/merge.h b/clients/merge.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..492b4a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clients/merge.h
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+    /*********************************************************************\
+    *  Copyright (c) 1992 by Wen-King Su (wen-king@vlsi.cs.caltech.edu)   *
+    *                                                                     *
+    *  You may copy or modify this file in any manner you wish, provided  *
+    *  that this notice is always included, and that you hold the author  *
+    *  harmless for any loss or damage resulting from the installation or *
+    *  use of this software.                                              *
+    \*********************************************************************/
+
+/* spliting the prototypes from merge.c to merge.h */
+
+/* prototypes */
+int fcatcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fcdcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fgetcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fgrabcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int flscmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fmkdir_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fprocmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fput_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int frmcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int frmdircmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fver_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fducmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fhostcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int ffindcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);
+int fstatcmd_main PROTO2(int, argc, char **, argv);