diff --git a/src/util/lp/dense_matrix.h b/src/util/lp/dense_matrix.h
index e6663d705..e2ee54058 100644
--- a/src/util/lp/dense_matrix.h
+++ b/src/util/lp/dense_matrix.h
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ public:
 
     void set_number_of_rows(unsigned /*m*/) override {}
     void set_number_of_columns(unsigned /*n*/) override {}
-
+#ifdef Z3DEBUG
     T get_elem(unsigned i, unsigned j) const override { return m_values[i * m_n + j]; }
+#endif
 
     unsigned row_count() const override { return m_m; }
     unsigned column_count() const override { return m_n; }
diff --git a/src/util/lp/eta_matrix.h b/src/util/lp/eta_matrix.h
index 89d2e641d..abed6d06b 100644
--- a/src/util/lp/eta_matrix.h
+++ b/src/util/lp/eta_matrix.h
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ public:
     void apply_from_right(vector<T> & w) override;
     void apply_from_right(indexed_vector<T> & w) override;
 
-    T get_elem(unsigned i, unsigned j) const override;
 #ifdef Z3DEBUG
+    T get_elem(unsigned i, unsigned j) const override;
     unsigned row_count() const override { return m_length; }
     unsigned column_count() const override { return m_length; }
     void set_number_of_rows(unsigned m) override { m_length = m; }