diff --git a/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c b/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
index 0b6b86de4d0..0c93e2e625e 100644
--- a/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
+++ b/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
@@ -478,4 +478,10 @@ pg_popcount_masked_neon(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 	return popcnt;
 }
 
-#endif							/* POPCNT_AARCH64 */
+#else							/* POPCNT_AARCH64 */
+
+/* prevent linker complaints about empty module */
+extern int	pg_popcount_aarch64_dummy_variable;
+int			pg_popcount_aarch64_dummy_variable = 0;
+
+#endif							/* ! POPCNT_AARCH64 */
diff --git a/src/port/pg_popcount_avx512.c b/src/port/pg_popcount_avx512.c
index 80c0aee3e73..896bc7473b2 100644
--- a/src/port/pg_popcount_avx512.c
+++ b/src/port/pg_popcount_avx512.c
@@ -220,4 +220,11 @@ pg_popcount_masked_avx512(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 }
 
 #endif							/* TRY_POPCNT_X86_64 */
-#endif							/* USE_AVX512_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK */
+
+#else							/* USE_AVX512_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK */
+
+/* prevent linker complaints about empty module */
+extern int	pg_popcount_avx512_dummy_variable;
+int			pg_popcount_avx512_dummy_variable = 0;
+
+#endif							/* ! USE_AVX512_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK */