diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/timer.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/timer.el
index 5c658eba803..44d70cde6bc 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/timer.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/timer.el
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 (cl-defstruct (timer
                (:constructor nil)
                (:copier nil)
-               (:constructor timer-create ())
+               (:constructor timer--create ())
                (:type vector)
                (:conc-name timer--))
   ;; nil if the timer is active (waiting to be triggered),
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@
   ;; sleep, etc).
   integral-multiple)
 
+(defun timer-create ()
+  ;; BEWARE: This is not an eta-redex, because `timer--create' is inlinable
+  ;; whereas `timer-create' should not be because we don't want to
+  ;; hardcode the shape of timers in other .elc files.
+  (timer--create))
+
 (defun timerp (object)
   "Return t if OBJECT is a timer."
   (and (vectorp object)