diff --git a/libguile/inline.c b/libguile/inline.c
index 4e71481cf..111896cf7 100644
--- a/libguile/inline.c
+++ b/libguile/inline.c
@@ -28,4 +28,3 @@
 #include "chars.h"
 #include "pairs.h"
 #include "ports.h"
-#include "strings.h"
diff --git a/libguile/strings.h b/libguile/strings.h
index 0262790ef..77988902f 100644
--- a/libguile/strings.h
+++ b/libguile/strings.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 #include <libguile/gc.h>
 #include <libguile/error.h>
-#include "libguile/inline.h"
 #include <libguile/snarf.h>
 
 
@@ -105,7 +104,6 @@ SCM_INTERNAL SCM scm_nullstr;
 SCM_INTERNAL scm_t_string_failed_conversion_handler
 scm_i_default_string_failed_conversion_handler (void);
 
-SCM_INLINE int scm_is_string (SCM x);
 SCM_API SCM scm_string_p (SCM x);
 SCM_API SCM scm_string (SCM chrs);
 SCM_API SCM scm_make_string (SCM k, SCM chr);
@@ -277,17 +275,12 @@ SCM_API SCM scm_sys_stringbuf_hist (void);
 
 
 
-#if SCM_CAN_INLINE || defined SCM_INLINE_C_IMPLEMENTING_INLINES
-/* Either inlining, or being included from inline.c.  */
-
-SCM_INLINE_IMPLEMENTATION int
+static inline int
 scm_is_string (SCM x)
 {
   return SCM_HAS_TYP7 (x, scm_tc7_string);
 }
 
-#endif
-