diff --git a/libguile/__scm.h b/libguile/__scm.h
index 8945d87bc..bac759762 100644
--- a/libguile/__scm.h
+++ b/libguile/__scm.h
@@ -609,6 +609,17 @@ SCM_API SCM scm_apply_generic (SCM gf, SCM args);
 #endif /* def vms */
 #endif /* ndef SCM_EXIT_FAILURE */
 
+/* Define SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD so that it can be used as a replacement
+   for the "inline" keyword, expanding to nothing when "inline" is not
+   available.
+*/
+
+#ifdef SCM_C_INLINE
+#define SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD SCM_C_INLINE
+#else
+#define SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD
+#endif
+
 #endif  /* SCM___SCM_H */
 
 /*
diff --git a/libguile/numbers.c b/libguile/numbers.c
index 9a9afd45b..5ef1310e4 100644
--- a/libguile/numbers.c
+++ b/libguile/numbers.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static mpz_t z_negative_one;
 
 static const char s_bignum[] = "bignum";
 
-SCM_C_INLINE SCM
+SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD SCM
 scm_i_mkbig ()
 {
   /* Return a newly created bignum. */
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ scm_i_mkbig ()
   return z;
 }
 
-SCM_C_INLINE static SCM
+SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD static SCM
 scm_i_clonebig (SCM src_big, int same_sign_p)
 {
   /* Copy src_big's value, negate it if same_sign_p is false, and return. */
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ scm_i_clonebig (SCM src_big, int same_sign_p)
   return z;
 }
 
-SCM_C_INLINE int
+SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD int
 scm_i_bigcmp (SCM x, SCM y)
 {
   /* Return neg if x < y, pos if x > y, and 0 if x == y */
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ scm_i_bigcmp (SCM x, SCM y)
   return result;
 }
 
-SCM_C_INLINE SCM
+SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD SCM
 scm_i_dbl2big (double d)
 {
   /* results are only defined if d is an integer */
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ scm_i_dbl2big (double d)
   return z;
 }
 
-SCM_C_INLINE double
+SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD double
 scm_i_big2dbl (SCM b)
 {
   double result = mpz_get_d (SCM_I_BIG_MPZ (b));
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ scm_i_big2dbl (SCM b)
   return result;
 }
 
-SCM_C_INLINE SCM
+SCM_C_INLINE_KEYWORD SCM
 scm_i_normbig (SCM b)
 {
   /* convert a big back to a fixnum if it'll fit */