diff --git a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_aarch64.cpp b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_aarch64.cpp
index d848cc6550..70d05a1da4 100644
--- a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_aarch64.cpp
+++ b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_aarch64.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include "hotspot/hotspotStackFrame.h"
+// The VMNMethod accessors used below are inline in vmStructs.h and assert via crashProtectionActive()
+// / cast_to(), both of which are defined in vmStructs.inline.h. Without this include, assertion-enabled
+// builds (the gtest targets) leave those symbols unresolved at link time.
+#include "hotspot/vmStructs.inline.h"
 
 static inline bool isSTP(instruction_t insn) {
     // stp  xn, xm, [sp, #-imm]!
diff --git a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_x64.cpp b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_x64.cpp
index 24ab30b112..dad23b0dac 100644
--- a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_x64.cpp
+++ b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/hotspot/hotspotStackFrame_x64.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include "hotspot/hotspotStackFrame.h"
+// See the note in hotspotStackFrame_aarch64.cpp: the VMNMethod accessors need vmStructs.inline.h
+// for crashProtectionActive() / cast_to() so assertion-enabled builds link.
+#include "hotspot/vmStructs.inline.h"
 
 __attribute__((no_sanitize("address"))) bool HotspotStackFrame::unwindStub(instruction_t* entry, const char* name, uintptr_t& pc, uintptr_t& sp, uintptr_t& fp) {
     instruction_t* ip = (instruction_t*)pc;
diff --git a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/vmEntry.cpp b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/vmEntry.cpp
index 346511f14e..bcea72d07f 100644
--- a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/vmEntry.cpp
+++ b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/vmEntry.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 #include "os.h"
 #include "profiler.h"
 #include "safeAccess.h"
-#include "hotspot/vmStructs.h"
+// Pulls in vmStructs.h plus the definitions of crashProtectionActive()/cast_to() that its inline
+// accessors odr-use here; the light vmStructs.h alone leaves those unresolved in assertion-enabled
+// builds (see the note in hotspotStackFrame_aarch64.cpp).
+#include "hotspot/vmStructs.inline.h"
 #include "hotspot/jitCodeCache.h"
 #include <atomic>
 #include <dlfcn.h>