diff --git Include/pyport.h Include/pyport.h
index e40c76d..e9ff0da 100644
--- Include/pyport.h
+++ Include/pyport.h
@@ -252,8 +252,6 @@ typedef Py_intptr_t	Py_ssize_t;
  * should keep using static.
  */
 
-#undef USE_INLINE /* XXX - set via configure? */
-
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
 #if defined(PY_LOCAL_AGGRESSIVE)
 /* enable more aggressive optimization for visual studio */
diff --git Modules/_sre.c Modules/_sre.c
index 7ac17bf..2b764b1 100644
--- Modules/_sre.c
+++ Modules/_sre.c
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ static char copyright[] =
 /* enables fast searching */
 #define USE_FAST_SEARCH
 
-/* enables aggressive inlining (always on for Visual C) */
-#undef USE_INLINE
-
 /* enables copy/deepcopy handling (work in progress) */
 #undef USE_BUILTIN_COPY
 
diff --git configure configure
index 1b084e9..927bd61 100755
--- configure
+++ configure
@@ -638,6 +638,7 @@ SVNVERSION
 ARFLAGS
 AR
 RANLIB
+USE_INLINE
 GNULD
 LINKCC
 RUNSHARED
@@ -4728,6 +4729,55 @@ esac
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $GNULD" >&5
 $as_echo "$GNULD" >&6; }
 
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for inline" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for inline... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_c_inline+set}" = set; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_cv_c_inline=no
+for ac_kw in inline __inline__ __inline; do
+  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#ifndef __cplusplus
+typedef int foo_t;
+static $ac_kw foo_t static_foo () {return 0; }
+$ac_kw foo_t foo () {return 0; }
+#endif
+
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_c_inline=$ac_kw
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+  test "$ac_cv_c_inline" != no && break
+done
+
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_c_inline" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_c_inline" >&6; }
+
+case $ac_cv_c_inline in
+  inline | yes) ;;
+  *)
+    case $ac_cv_c_inline in
+      no) ac_val=;;
+      *) ac_val=$ac_cv_c_inline;;
+    esac
+    cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#ifndef __cplusplus
+#define inline $ac_val
+#endif
+_ACEOF
+    ;;
+esac
+
+if test "$ac_cv_c_inline" != no ; then
+        $as_echo "#define USE_INLINE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+
+fi
+
+
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for --enable-shared" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for --enable-shared... " >&6; }
 # Check whether --enable-shared was given.
diff --git configure.in configure.in
index d4f74bc..c039e50 100644
--- configure.in
+++ configure.in
@@ -635,6 +635,13 @@ case `"$ac_prog" -V 2>&1 < /dev/null` in
 esac
 AC_MSG_RESULT($GNULD)
 
+AC_C_INLINE
+if test "$ac_cv_c_inline" != no ; then
+        AC_DEFINE(USE_INLINE,1)
+        AC_SUBST(USE_INLINE)
+fi
+
+
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --enable-shared)
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(shared,
               AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-shared], [disable/enable building shared python library]))
diff --git pyconfig.h.in pyconfig.h.in
index d3a8786..86cef84 100644
--- pyconfig.h.in
+++ pyconfig.h.in
@@ -1040,6 +1040,9 @@
 /* Define if you want to use computed gotos in ceval.c. */
 #undef USE_COMPUTED_GOTOS
 
+/* Define if the compiler supports the inline keyword */
+#undef USE_INLINE
+
 /* Enable extensions on AIX 3, Interix.  */
 #ifndef _ALL_SOURCE
 # undef _ALL_SOURCE