diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.c b/src/basic/path-util.c
index b972396249..f832f85c68 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.c
@@ -485,10 +485,6 @@ int path_compare(const char *a, const char *b) {
         }
 }
 
-bool path_equal_or_inode_same(const char *a, const char *b, int flags) {
-        return path_equal(a, b) || inode_same(a, b, flags) > 0;
-}
-
 int path_compare_filename(const char *a, const char *b) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *fa = NULL, *fb = NULL;
         int r, j, k;
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.h b/src/basic/path-util.h
index af7f229908..97175bee11 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 
 #include "macro.h"
+#include "stat-util.h"
 #include "string-util.h"
 #include "strv.h"
 #include "time-util.h"
@@ -77,7 +78,9 @@ static inline bool path_equal_filename(const char *a, const char *b) {
         return path_compare_filename(a, b) == 0;
 }
 
-bool path_equal_or_inode_same(const char *a, const char *b, int flags);
+static inline bool path_equal_or_inode_same(const char *a, const char *b, int flags) {
+        return path_equal(a, b) || inode_same(a, b, flags) > 0;
+}
 
 char* path_extend_internal(char **x, ...);
 #define path_extend(x, ...) path_extend_internal(x, __VA_ARGS__, POINTER_MAX)