diff --git a/src/include/access/transam.h b/src/include/access/transam.h
index 7966a9e90b..4e08c4b865 100644
--- a/src/include/access/transam.h
+++ b/src/include/access/transam.h
@@ -231,6 +231,13 @@ extern void AdvanceOldestClogXid(TransactionId oldest_datfrozenxid);
 extern bool ForceTransactionIdLimitUpdate(void);
 extern Oid	GetNewObjectId(void);
 
+/*
+ * Some frontend programs include this header.  For compilers that emit static
+ * inline functions even when they're unused, that leads to unsatisfied
+ * external references; hence hide them with #ifndef FRONTEND.
+ */
+#ifndef FRONTEND
+
 /*
  * For callers that just need the XID part of the next transaction ID.
  */
@@ -240,4 +247,6 @@ ReadNewTransactionId(void)
 	return XidFromFullTransactionId(ReadNextFullTransactionId());
 }
 
-#endif							/* TRAMSAM_H */
+#endif							/* FRONTEND */
+
+#endif							/* TRANSAM_H */