diff --git a/src/runtime/lean_inlines.c b/src/runtime/lean_inlines.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb2705e83a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/lean_inlines.c
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// generate LLVM IR for `static inline` definitions in lean.h for the LLVM backend
+#define static extern // work around clang not emitting code for unused `static` definitions
+#include <lean/lean.h>