diff --git a/runtime/include/chpl-privatization.h b/runtime/include/chpl-privatization.h
index 97bf331c5a12..af33d4962f84 100644
--- a/runtime/include/chpl-privatization.h
+++ b/runtime/include/chpl-privatization.h
@@ -23,10 +23,18 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "chpltypes.h"
 
+extern void** chpl_privateObjects;
+
 void chpl_privatization_init(void);
 
 void chpl_newPrivatizedClass(void*, int64_t);
-void* chpl_getPrivatizedClass(int64_t);
+
+// Implementation is here for performance: getPrivatizedClass can be called
+// frequently, so putting it in a header allows the backend to fully optimize.
+static inline void* chpl_getPrivatizedClass(int64_t i) {
+  return chpl_privateObjects[i];
+}
+
 void chpl_clearPrivatizedClass(int64_t);
 
 int64_t chpl_numPrivatizedClasses(void);
diff --git a/runtime/src/chpl-privatization.c b/runtime/src/chpl-privatization.c
index 355952a58feb..e6fba8187ef8 100644
--- a/runtime/src/chpl-privatization.c
+++ b/runtime/src/chpl-privatization.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 static int64_t chpl_capPrivateObjects = 0;
 static chpl_sync_aux_t privatizationSync;
 
-static void** chpl_privateObjects = NULL;
+void** chpl_privateObjects = NULL;
 
 void chpl_privatization_init(void) {
     chpl_sync_initAux(&privatizationSync);
@@ -70,12 +70,6 @@ void chpl_newPrivatizedClass(void* v, int64_t pid) {
   chpl_sync_unlock(&privatizationSync);
 }
 
-
-void* chpl_getPrivatizedClass(int64_t i) {
-  return chpl_privateObjects[i];
-}
-
-
 void chpl_clearPrivatizedClass(int64_t i) {
   chpl_sync_lock(&privatizationSync);
   chpl_privateObjects[i] = NULL;
@@ -93,4 +87,3 @@ int64_t chpl_numPrivatizedClasses(void) {
   chpl_sync_unlock(&privatizationSync);
   return ret;
 }
-