diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/loaddefs-gen.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/loaddefs-gen.el
index 550c6d8e0c2..ede9a9fe8a0 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/loaddefs-gen.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/loaddefs-gen.el
@@ -228,7 +228,11 @@ expand)' among their `declare' forms."
                     (member file loaddefs--load-error-files))
           (let ((load-path (cons (file-name-directory file) load-path)))
             (message "loaddefs-gen: loading file %s (for %s)" file car)
-            (condition-case e (load file)
+            (condition-case e
+                ;; Don't load the `.elc' file, in case the file wraps
+                ;; the macro-definition in `eval-when-compile' (bug#80180).
+                (let ((load-suffixes '(".el")))
+                  (load file))
               (error
                (push file loaddefs--load-error-files) ; do not attempt again
                (warn "loaddefs-gen: load error\n\t%s" e)))))