diff --git a/htslib/vcf.h b/htslib/vcf.h
index 1ec500456..ff0a04ffd 100644
--- a/htslib/vcf.h
+++ b/htslib/vcf.h
@@ -874,33 +874,14 @@ static inline void bcf_enc_int1(kstring_t *s, int32_t x)
     }
 }
 
-static inline int32_t bcf_dec_int1(const uint8_t *p, int type, uint8_t **q)
-{
-    if (type == BCF_BT_INT8) {
-        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 1;
-        return *(int8_t*)p;
-    } else if (type == BCF_BT_INT16) {
-        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 2;
-        return *(int16_t*)p;
-    } else {
-        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 4;
-        return *(int32_t*)p;
-    }
-}
+int32_t bcf_dec_int1(const uint8_t *p, int type, uint8_t **q);
 
 static inline int32_t bcf_dec_typed_int1(const uint8_t *p, uint8_t **q)
 {
     return bcf_dec_int1(p + 1, *p&0xf, q);
 }
 
-static inline int32_t bcf_dec_size(const uint8_t *p, uint8_t **q, int *type)
-{
-    *type = *p & 0xf;
-    if (*p>>4 != 15) {
-        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 1;
-        return *p>>4;
-    } else return bcf_dec_typed_int1(p + 1, q);
-}
+int32_t bcf_dec_size(const uint8_t *p, uint8_t **q, int *type);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/vcf.c b/vcf.c
index 7be8993ae..07de4f4b7 100644
--- a/vcf.c
+++ b/vcf.c
@@ -3375,3 +3375,27 @@ int bcf_get_format_values(const bcf_hdr_t *hdr, bcf1_t *line, const char *tag, v
     return nsmpl*fmt->n;
 }
 
+
+int32_t bcf_dec_int1(const uint8_t *p, int type, uint8_t **q)
+{
+    if (type == BCF_BT_INT8) {
+        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 1;
+        return *(int8_t*)p;
+    } else if (type == BCF_BT_INT16) {
+        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 2;
+        return *(int16_t*)p;
+    } else {
+        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 4;
+        return *(int32_t*)p;
+    }
+}
+
+int32_t bcf_dec_size(const uint8_t *p, uint8_t **q, int *type)
+{
+    *type = *p & 0xf;
+    if (*p>>4 != 15) {
+        *q = (uint8_t*)p + 1;
+        return *p>>4;
+    } else return bcf_dec_typed_int1(p + 1, q);
+}
+