diff --git a/lib/SILOptimizer/IPO/DeadFunctionElimination.cpp b/lib/SILOptimizer/IPO/DeadFunctionElimination.cpp
index 36b46e295dfbf..1a61bd092e4a8 100644
--- a/lib/SILOptimizer/IPO/DeadFunctionElimination.cpp
+++ b/lib/SILOptimizer/IPO/DeadFunctionElimination.cpp
@@ -460,8 +460,47 @@ class ExternalFunctionDefinitionsElimination : FunctionLivenessComputation {
 
   /// ExternalFunctionDefinitionsElimination pass does not take functions
   /// reachable via vtables and witness_tables into account when computing
-  /// a function liveness information.
+  /// a function liveness information. The only exceptions are external
+  /// transparent functions, because bodies of external transparent functions
+  /// should never be removed.
   void findAnchorsInTables() override {
+    // Check vtable methods.
+    for (SILVTable &vTable : Module->getVTableList()) {
+      for (auto &entry : vTable.getEntries()) {
+        SILFunction *F = entry.second;
+        if (F->isTransparent() && isAvailableExternally(F->getLinkage()))
+          ensureAlive(F);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Check witness methods.
+    for (SILWitnessTable &WT : Module->getWitnessTableList()) {
+      bool tableIsAlive = isVisibleExternally(WT.getConformance()->getProtocol());
+      for (const SILWitnessTable::Entry &entry : WT.getEntries()) {
+        if (entry.getKind() != SILWitnessTable::Method)
+          continue;
+
+        auto methodWitness = entry.getMethodWitness();
+        SILFunction *F = methodWitness.Witness;
+        if (!F)
+          continue;
+        if (F->isTransparent() && isAvailableExternally(F->getLinkage()))
+          ensureAlive(F);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Check default witness methods.
+    for (SILDefaultWitnessTable &WT : Module->getDefaultWitnessTableList()) {
+      for (const SILDefaultWitnessTable::Entry &entry : WT.getEntries()) {
+        if (!entry.isValid())
+          continue;
+
+        SILFunction *F = entry.getWitness();
+        if (F->isTransparent() && isAvailableExternally(F->getLinkage()))
+          ensureAlive(F);
+      }
+    }
+
   }
 
   bool findAliveFunctions() {
diff --git a/test/SILOptimizer/external_func_definition_elim_transparent_methods.sil b/test/SILOptimizer/external_func_definition_elim_transparent_methods.sil
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d963335b75375
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/SILOptimizer/external_func_definition_elim_transparent_methods.sil
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// RUN: %target-sil-opt -assume-parsing-unqualified-ownership-sil -external-func-definition-elim %s | %FileCheck %s
+
+// Check that public_external transparent methods referenced from vtables
+// and witness tables are not removed by ExternalFunctionDefinitionsElimination.
+
+sil_stage canonical
+
+import Builtin
+import Swift
+import SwiftShims
+
+private class Base {
+	init()
+  func foo()
+}
+
+private class Derived : Base {
+}
+
+sil private @BaseInit : $@convention(method) (@owned Base) -> @owned Base {
+bb0(%4 : $Base):
+  return %4 : $Base
+}
+
+sil private @DerivedInit : $@convention(method) (@owned Derived) -> @owned Derived {
+bb0(%4 : $Derived):
+  return %4 : $Derived
+}
+
+sil public_external [transparent] @foo : $@convention(method) (@guaranteed Base) -> () {
+bb0(%0 : $Base):
+  %2 = tuple ()
+  return %2 : $()
+} // end sil function 'foo'
+
+
+sil_vtable Base {
+  #Base.init!initializer.1: BaseInit
+  #Base.foo!1: foo
+}
+
+sil_vtable Derived {
+  #Base.init!initializer.1: DerivedInit
+  #Base.foo!1: foo
+}
+
+// CHECK-LABEL: sil public_external [transparent] @foo
+// CHECK: end sil function 'foo'
+
+// CHECK-LABEL: sil_vtable Base
+// CHECK-: BaseInit
+
+// CHECK-LABEL: sil_vtable Derived
+// CHECK: DerivedInit