diff --git a/lib/astutils.cpp b/lib/astutils.cpp
index 08a0a046cd1e..ab296d8e8277 100644
--- a/lib/astutils.cpp
+++ b/lib/astutils.cpp
@@ -2437,7 +2437,14 @@ static bool isArray(const Token* tok)
     return false;
 }
 
-static bool isMutableExpression(const Token* tok)
+static inline
+// compiling with older GCC versions might fail with
+// lib/astutils.cpp:2444:6: error: inlining failed in call to always_inline 'bool isMutableExpression(const Token*)': function not considered for inlining
+// build/astutils.cpp:3591:6: error: inlining failed in call to ‘always_inline’ ‘bool isMutableExpression(const Token*)’: recursive inlining
+#if defined(__clang__) || (defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ >= 14)
+__attribute__((always_inline))
+#endif
+bool isMutableExpression(const Token* tok)
 {
     if (!tok)
         return false;