diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 072798c0f6dec0..8d8a41003c867c 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ Local<Value> UVException(Isolate* isolate,
 
 
 // Look up environment variable unless running as setuid root.
-inline bool SafeGetenv(const char* key, std::string* text) {
+bool SafeGetenv(const char* key, std::string* text) {
 #ifndef _WIN32
   // TODO(bnoordhuis) Should perhaps also check whether getauxval(AT_SECURE)
   // is non-zero on Linux.
diff --git a/src/node_internals.h b/src/node_internals.h
index cbe5667bd121a4..72d303b8662d60 100644
--- a/src/node_internals.h
+++ b/src/node_internals.h
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ void RegisterSignalHandler(int signal,
                            bool reset_handler = false);
 #endif
 
+bool SafeGetenv(const char* key, std::string* text);
+
 template <typename T, size_t N>
 constexpr size_t arraysize(const T(&)[N]) { return N; }