diff --git a/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.cpp b/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.cpp
index 37a628189d..767040e3cf 100644
--- a/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.cpp
+++ b/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.cpp
@@ -132,26 +132,6 @@ bytesPerLineTable (const Header &header,
     return maxBytesPerLine;
 }
 
-
-const int&
-sampleCount(const char* base, int xStride, int yStride, int x, int y)
-{
-    const char* ptr = base + y * yStride + x * xStride;
-    int* intPtr = (int*) ptr;
-
-    return *intPtr;
-}
-
-int&
-sampleCount(char* base, int xStride, int yStride, int x, int y)
-{
-    char* ptr = base + y * yStride + x * xStride;
-    int* intPtr = (int*) ptr;
-    
-    return *intPtr;
-}
-
-
 size_t
 bytesPerDeepLineTable (const Header &header,
                        int minY, int maxY,
diff --git a/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.h b/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.h
index cc697e24fc..c0d90eaa1b 100644
--- a/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.h
+++ b/OpenEXR/IlmImf/ImfMisc.h
@@ -95,14 +95,26 @@ size_t	bytesPerLineTable (const Header &header,
 // pointer, xStride and yStride.
 //
 
-IMF_EXPORT
+inline
 int&
-sampleCount(char* base, int xStride, int yStride, int x, int y);
+sampleCount(char* base, int xStride, int yStride, int x, int y)
+{
+    char* ptr = base + y * yStride + x * xStride;
+    int* intPtr = (int*) ptr;
 
+    return *intPtr;
+}
 
-IMF_EXPORT
+
+inline
 const int&
-sampleCount(const char* base, int xStride, int yStride, int x, int y);
+sampleCount(const char* base, int xStride, int yStride, int x, int y)
+{
+    const char* ptr = base + y * yStride + x * xStride;
+    int* intPtr = (int*) ptr;
+    
+    return *intPtr;
+}
 
 //
 // Build a table that lists, for each scanline in a DEEP file's