diff --git a/lisp/net/tramp-compat.el b/lisp/net/tramp-compat.el
index 9787e3a6553..5db8f1f61da 100644
--- a/lisp/net/tramp-compat.el
+++ b/lisp/net/tramp-compat.el
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 ;;; Code:
 
-(require 'tramp-loaddefs)
+(require 'tramp-loaddefs nil t)  ; guard against load during autoload gen
 (require 'ansi-color)
 (require 'auth-source)
 (require 'format-spec)
diff --git a/lisp/net/tramp.el b/lisp/net/tramp.el
index 503b370cb3d..e80a470957f 100644
--- a/lisp/net/tramp.el
+++ b/lisp/net/tramp.el
@@ -103,8 +103,15 @@
 
   (put 'tramp--startup-hook 'tramp-suppress-trace t)
 
+  ;; TODO: once (autoload-macro expand) is available in all supported
+  ;; Emacs versions, this can be eliminated:
+  ;;  backward compatibility for autoload-macro declare form
+  (unless (assq 'autoload-macro macro-declarations-alist)
+    (push '(autoload-macro ignore) macro-declarations-alist))
+
   (defmacro tramp--with-startup (&rest body)
     "Schedule BODY to be executed at the end of tramp.el."
+    (declare (autoload-macro expand))
     `(add-hook 'tramp--startup-hook (lambda () ,@body)))
 
   (eval-and-compile