diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig.debug b/arch/x86/Kconfig.debug
index 239fd9fba0a5..5b1979a45a1e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig.debug
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig.debug
@@ -257,3 +257,16 @@ config CPA_DEBUG
 	  Do change_page_attr() self-tests every 30 seconds.
 
 endmenu
+
+config OPTIMIZE_INLINING
+	bool "Allow gcc to uninline functions marked 'inline'"
+	default y
+	help
+	  This option determines if the kernel forces gcc to inline the functions
+	  developers have marked 'inline'. Doing so takes away freedom from gcc to
+	  do what it thinks is best, which is desirable for the gcc 3.x series of
+	  compilers. The gcc 4.x series have a rewritten inlining algorithm and
+	  disabling this option will generate a smaller kernel there. Hopefully
+	  this algorithm is so good that allowing gcc4 to make the decision can
+	  become the default in the future, until then this option is there to
+	  test gcc for this.
diff --git a/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig b/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig
index 3df340b54e57..ad7ddaaff588 100644
--- a/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig
@@ -1421,6 +1421,7 @@ CONFIG_DEBUG_BUGVERBOSE=y
 # CONFIG_DEBUG_VM is not set
 # CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST is not set
 # CONFIG_FRAME_POINTER is not set
+CONFIG_OPTIMIZE_INLINING=y
 # CONFIG_RCU_TORTURE_TEST is not set
 # CONFIG_LKDTM is not set
 # CONFIG_FAULT_INJECTION is not set
diff --git a/arch/x86/configs/x86_64_defconfig b/arch/x86/configs/x86_64_defconfig
index eef98cb00c62..2d6f5b2809d2 100644
--- a/arch/x86/configs/x86_64_defconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/configs/x86_64_defconfig
@@ -1346,6 +1346,7 @@ CONFIG_DEBUG_BUGVERBOSE=y
 # CONFIG_DEBUG_VM is not set
 # CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST is not set
 # CONFIG_FRAME_POINTER is not set
+CONFIG_OPTIMIZE_INLINING=y
 # CONFIG_RCU_TORTURE_TEST is not set
 # CONFIG_LKDTM is not set
 # CONFIG_FAULT_INJECTION is not set
diff --git a/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h b/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h
index fe23792f05c1..340bc5d92772 100644
--- a/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h
+++ b/include/linux/compiler-gcc.h
@@ -28,9 +28,15 @@
 #define __must_be_array(a) \
   BUILD_BUG_ON_ZERO(__builtin_types_compatible_p(typeof(a), typeof(&a[0])))
 
-#define inline		inline		__attribute__((always_inline))
-#define __inline__	__inline__	__attribute__((always_inline))
-#define __inline	__inline	__attribute__((always_inline))
+/*
+ * Force always-inline if the user requests it so via the .config:
+ */
+#if !defined(CONFIG_OPTIMIZE_INLINING) && (__GNUC__ >= 4)
+# define inline		inline		__attribute__((always_inline))
+# define __inline__	__inline__	__attribute__((always_inline))
+# define __inline	__inline	__attribute__((always_inline))
+#endif
+
 #define __deprecated			__attribute__((deprecated))
 #define __packed			__attribute__((packed))
 #define __weak				__attribute__((weak))