diff --git a/src/draw.c b/src/draw.c
index 5c3096b6..6f5656c0 100644
--- a/src/draw.c
+++ b/src/draw.c
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ void print_image()
 
   if(!has_x) return ;
   if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
-  if(!plotfile[0]) {
+  if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
     Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile ",
       get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".png -initialdir ", lastdir, NULL);
     r = tclresult();
     if(r[0]) {
-      my_strncpy(plotfile, r, S(plotfile));
-      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", plotfile, NULL);
+      my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, r, S(xctx->plotfile));
+      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", xctx->plotfile, NULL);
       my_strncpy(lastdir, tclresult(), S(lastdir));
     }
     else return;
@@ -81,19 +81,19 @@ void print_image()
   #ifdef __unix__
   XpmWriteFileFromPixmap(display, "plot.xpm", xctx->save_pixmap,0, NULL ); /* .gz ???? */
   dbg(1, "print_image(): Window image saved\n");
-  if(plotfile[0]) {
-    my_snprintf(cmd, S(cmd), "convert_to_png plot.xpm {%s}", plotfile);
+  if(xctx->plotfile[0]) {
+    my_snprintf(cmd, S(cmd), "convert_to_png plot.xpm {%s}", xctx->plotfile);
     tcleval(cmd);
   } else tcleval( "convert_to_png plot.xpm plot.png");
   #else
   char *psfile=NULL;
   create_ps(&psfile, 7);
-  if(plotfile[0]) {
-    my_snprintf(cmd, S(cmd), "convert_to_png {%s} {%s}", psfile, plotfile);
+  if(xctx->plotfile[0]) {
+    my_snprintf(cmd, S(cmd), "convert_to_png {%s} {%s}", psfile, xctx->plotfile);
     tcleval(cmd);
   } else tcleval( "convert_to_png {%s} plot.png", psfile);
   #endif
-  my_strncpy(plotfile,"", S(plotfile));
+  my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile,"", S(xctx->plotfile));
   draw_grid=save_draw_grid;
   draw_pixmap=1;
 }
diff --git a/src/globals.c b/src/globals.c
index 05d92b97..06b5d2a2 100644
--- a/src/globals.c
+++ b/src/globals.c
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ const char fopen_read_mode[] = "rb";
 const char fopen_read_mode[] = "r";
 #endif
 int load_initfile=1;
-char plotfile[PATH_MAX] = {'\0'};
 char rcfile[PATH_MAX] = {'\0'};
 char *tcl_command = NULL;
 char tcl_script[PATH_MAX] = {'\0'};
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index e34dc441..74521281 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void check_opt(char *opt, char *optval, int type)
 
     } else if( (type == LONG && !strcmp("plotfile", opt)) ) {
         dbg(1, "process_options(): user plotfile specified: %s\n", optval ? optval : "NULL");
-        if(optval) my_strncpy(plotfile, optval, S(plotfile));
+        if(optval) my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, optval, S(xctx->plotfile));
 
     } else if( (type == LONG && !strcmp("rcfile", opt)) ) {
         dbg(1, "process_options(): user rcfile specified: %s\n", optval ? optval : "NULL");
diff --git a/src/psprint.c b/src/psprint.c
index 83cea831..20f5f484 100644
--- a/src/psprint.c
+++ b/src/psprint.c
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ void create_ps(char **psfile, int what)
       }
     }
   
-    dbg(1, "ps_draw(): INT_WIDTH(lw)=%d plotfile=%s\n",INT_WIDTH(xctx->lw), plotfile);
+    dbg(1, "ps_draw(): INT_WIDTH(lw)=%d plotfile=%s\n",INT_WIDTH(xctx->lw), xctx->plotfile);
     fprintf(fd, "showpage\n\n");
   }
   if(what & 4) { /* trailer */
@@ -883,13 +883,13 @@ int ps_draw(int what)
 
  if(what & 1) { /* prolog */
    if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
-   if(!plotfile[0]) {
+   if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile ",
        get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".pdf -initialdir ", lastdir, NULL);
      r = tclresult();
      if(r[0]) {
-       my_strncpy(plotfile, r, S(plotfile));
-       Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", plotfile, NULL);
+       my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, r, S(xctx->plotfile));
+       Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", xctx->plotfile, NULL);
        my_strncpy(lastdir, tclresult(), S(lastdir));
      }
      else return 0;
@@ -897,12 +897,12 @@ int ps_draw(int what)
  }
  create_ps(&psfile, what);
  if(what & 4) { /* trailer */
-   if(plotfile[0]) {
-     my_snprintf(tmp, S(tmp), "convert_to_pdf {%s} {%s}", psfile, plotfile);
+   if(xctx->plotfile[0]) {
+     my_snprintf(tmp, S(tmp), "convert_to_pdf {%s} {%s}", psfile, xctx->plotfile);
    } else {
      my_snprintf(tmp, S(tmp), "convert_to_pdf {%s} plot.pdf", psfile);
    }
-   my_strncpy(plotfile,"", S(plotfile));
+   my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile,"", S(xctx->plotfile));
    tcleval( tmp);
    Tcl_SetResult(interp,"",TCL_STATIC);
  }
diff --git a/src/scheduler.c b/src/scheduler.c
index f2753a35..2bc99fa7 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.c
+++ b/src/scheduler.c
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ int xschem(ClientData clientdata, Tcl_Interp *interp, int argc, const char * arg
       }
       if(argc >= 4) {
         Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file normalize \"", argv[3], "\"", NULL);
-        my_strncpy(plotfile, Tcl_GetStringResult(interp), S(plotfile));
+        my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, Tcl_GetStringResult(interp), S(xctx->plotfile));
       }
 
       if(!strcmp(argv[2],"pdf") || !strcmp(argv[2],"ps")) {
diff --git a/src/svgdraw.c b/src/svgdraw.c
index 9367927d..00a093b0 100644
--- a/src/svgdraw.c
+++ b/src/svgdraw.c
@@ -562,13 +562,13 @@ void svg_draw(void)
   struct hilight_hashentry *entry;
   
   if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
-  if(!plotfile[0]) {
+  if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
     Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile ",
       get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".svg -initialdir ", lastdir, NULL);
     r = tclresult();
     if(r[0]) {
-      my_strncpy(plotfile, r, S(plotfile));
-      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", plotfile, NULL);
+      my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, r, S(xctx->plotfile));
+      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", xctx->plotfile, NULL);
       my_strncpy(lastdir, tclresult(), S(lastdir));
     }
     else return;
@@ -585,10 +585,10 @@ void svg_draw(void)
   dy=xctx->xschem_h;
   dbg(1, "svg_draw(): dx=%g  dy=%g\n", dx, dy);
  
-  if(plotfile[0]) {
-    fd=fopen(plotfile, "w");
+  if(xctx->plotfile[0]) {
+    fd=fopen(xctx->plotfile, "w");
     if(!fd) { 
-      dbg(0, "can not open file: %s\n", plotfile);
+      dbg(0, "can not open file: %s\n", xctx->plotfile);
       return;
     }
   } else {
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ void svg_draw(void)
       return;
     }
   }
-  my_strncpy(plotfile,"", S(plotfile));
+  my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile,"", S(xctx->plotfile));
 
   unused_layer = my_calloc(873, cadlayers, sizeof(int));
   #if 0
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index 232c63bd..724b061a 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ void alloc_xschem_data()
   xctx->get_tok_size = 0;
   xctx->get_tok_value_size = 0;
   xctx->netlist_name[0] = '\0';
+  xctx->plotfile[0] = '\0';
   xctx->netlist_unconn_cnt = 0; /* unique count of unconnected pins while netlisting */
   xctx->current_dirname[0] = '\0';
   for(i = 0; i < NBOXES; i++) {
diff --git a/src/xschem.h b/src/xschem.h
index 2b06e6fc..06aac1a8 100644
--- a/src/xschem.h
+++ b/src/xschem.h
@@ -624,6 +624,7 @@ typedef struct {
   int nl_sel, nl_sem;
   XSegment *biggridpoint;
   XPoint *gridpoint;
+  char plotfile[PATH_MAX];
 } Xschem_ctx;
 
 struct Lcc { /* used for symbols containing schematics as instances (LCC, Local Custom Cell) */
@@ -723,7 +724,6 @@ extern int load_initfile;
 extern char rcfile[PATH_MAX];
 extern char *tcl_command;
 extern char tcl_script[PATH_MAX];
-extern char plotfile[PATH_MAX];
 extern int persistent_command;
 extern int autotrim_wires;
 extern int dis_uniq_names;