diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/shortdoc.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/shortdoc.el
index cde28985cd0..7597f601124 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/shortdoc.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/shortdoc.el
@@ -50,19 +50,19 @@ shortdoc-section
   '((t :inherit variable-pitch))
   "Face used for a section.")
 
-;;;###autoload
-(defun shortdoc--check (group functions)
-  (let ((keywords '( :no-manual :args :eval :no-eval :no-value :no-eval*
-                     :result :result-string :eg-result :eg-result-string :doc)))
-    (dolist (f functions)
-      (when (consp f)
-        (dolist (x f)
-          (when (and (keywordp x) (not (memq x keywords)))
-            (error "Shortdoc %s function `%s': bad keyword `%s'"
-                   group (car f) x)))))))
-
 ;;;###autoload
 (progn
+  (eval-and-compile
+    (defun shortdoc--check (group functions)
+      (let ((keywords '( :no-manual :args :eval :no-eval :no-value :no-eval*
+                         :result :result-string :eg-result :eg-result-string :doc)))
+        (dolist (f functions)
+          (when (consp f)
+            (dolist (x f)
+              (when (and (keywordp x) (not (memq x keywords)))
+                (error "Shortdoc %s function `%s': bad keyword `%s'"
+                       group (car f) x))))))))
+
   (defvar shortdoc--groups nil)
 
   (defmacro define-short-documentation-group (group &rest functions)