diff --git a/guix/records.scm b/guix/records.scm
index 6b3c25cefa..0649c90ea3 100644
--- a/guix/records.scm
+++ b/guix/records.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Mark H Weaver <mhw@netris.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
@@ -44,31 +44,6 @@ (define-syntax record-error
                        (format #f fmt args ...)
                        form))))
 
-(define (report-invalid-field-specifier name bindings)
-  "Report the first invalid binding among BINDINGS."
-  (let loop ((bindings bindings))
-    (syntax-case bindings ()
-      (((field value) rest ...)                   ;good
-       (loop #'(rest ...)))
-      ((weird _ ...)                              ;weird!
-       (syntax-violation name "invalid field specifier" #'weird)))))
-
-(define (report-duplicate-field-specifier name ctor)
-  "Report the first duplicate identifier among the bindings in CTOR."
-  (syntax-case ctor ()
-    ((_ bindings ...)
-     (let loop ((bindings #'(bindings ...))
-                (seen   '()))
-       (syntax-case bindings ()
-         (((field value) rest ...)
-          (not (memq (syntax->datum #'field) seen))
-          (loop #'(rest ...) (cons (syntax->datum #'field) seen)))
-         ((duplicate rest ...)
-          (syntax-violation name "duplicate field initializer"
-                            #'duplicate))
-         (()
-          #t))))))
-
 (eval-when (expand load eval)
   ;; The procedures below are needed both at run time and at expansion time.
 
@@ -91,7 +66,32 @@ (define (abi-check type cookie)
           ;; recompiled.
           (throw 'record-abi-mismatch-error 'abi-check
                  "~a: record ABI mismatch; recompilation needed"
-                 (list #,type) '())))))
+                 (list #,type) '()))))
+
+  (define (report-invalid-field-specifier name bindings)
+    "Report the first invalid binding among BINDINGS."
+    (let loop ((bindings bindings))
+      (syntax-case bindings ()
+        (((field value) rest ...)                   ;good
+         (loop #'(rest ...)))
+        ((weird _ ...)                              ;weird!
+         (syntax-violation name "invalid field specifier" #'weird)))))
+
+  (define (report-duplicate-field-specifier name ctor)
+    "Report the first duplicate identifier among the bindings in CTOR."
+    (syntax-case ctor ()
+      ((_ bindings ...)
+       (let loop ((bindings #'(bindings ...))
+                  (seen   '()))
+         (syntax-case bindings ()
+           (((field value) rest ...)
+            (not (memq (syntax->datum #'field) seen))
+            (loop #'(rest ...) (cons (syntax->datum #'field) seen)))
+           ((duplicate rest ...)
+            (syntax-violation name "duplicate field initializer"
+                              #'duplicate))
+           (()
+            #t)))))))
 
 (define-syntax make-syntactic-constructor
   (syntax-rules ()