diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index fcac077c..0da3a469 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ set(COMMON_SRC
 	sock_addr.c
 	splaytree.c
 	rand.c
-	status_counter.c safe_memclear.c
+	safe_memclear.c
 )
 
 if(WIN32)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index f8dd260b..65c23aed 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ common_src=base64.c buffer.c burl.c log.c \
 	rand.c \
 	request.c \
 	sock_addr.c \
-	splaytree.c status_counter.c \
+	splaytree.c \
 	safe_memclear.c
 
 src = server.c response.c connections.c \
diff --git a/src/SConscript b/src/SConscript
index 8baa4261..554b2d79 100644
--- a/src/SConscript
+++ b/src/SConscript
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ common_src = Split("base64.c buffer.c burl.c log.c \
 	sock_addr.c \
 	splaytree.c \
 	rand.c \
-	status_counter.c safe_memclear.c \
+	safe_memclear.c \
 ")
 
 src = Split("server.c response.c connections.c \
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 58a2b28a..4717eaa7 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -589,7 +589,6 @@ common_src = [
 	'sock_addr.c',
 	'splaytree.c',
 	'stat_cache.c',
-	'status_counter.c',
 	'stream.c',
 	'vector.c',
 ]
diff --git a/src/status_counter.c b/src/status_counter.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 09d53b7a..00000000
--- a/src/status_counter.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-#include "first.h"
-
-#include "status_counter.h"
-#include "base.h"
-
-/**
- * The status array can carry all the status information you want
- * the key to the array is <module-prefix>.<name>
- * and the values are counters
- *
- * example:
- *   fastcgi.backends        = 10
- *   fastcgi.active-backends = 6
- *   fastcgi.backend.<key>.load = 24
- *   fastcgi.backend.<key>....
- *
- *   fastcgi.backend.<key>.disconnects = ...
- */
-
-int *status_counter_get_counter(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len) {
-	return array_get_int_ptr(srv->status, s, len);
-}
-
-/* dummies of the statistic framework functions
- * they will be moved to a statistics.c later */
-void status_counter_inc(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len) {
-	++(*status_counter_get_counter(srv, s, len));
-}
-
-void status_counter_dec(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len) {
-	int *i = status_counter_get_counter(srv, s, len);
-	if (*i > 0) --(*i);
-}
-
-void status_counter_set(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len, int val) {
-	*status_counter_get_counter(srv, s, len) = val;
-}
-
diff --git a/src/status_counter.h b/src/status_counter.h
index 4a9d6381..cdbd5c13 100644
--- a/src/status_counter.h
+++ b/src/status_counter.h
@@ -4,9 +4,39 @@
 
 #include "base_decls.h"
 
+static inline
 int *status_counter_get_counter(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len);
+static inline
 void status_counter_inc(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len);
+static inline
 void status_counter_dec(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len);
+static inline
 void status_counter_set(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len, int val);
 
+/* inline status counter routines */
+
+#include "base.h"       /* (srv->status) */
+#include "array.h"
+
+static inline
+int *status_counter_get_counter(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len) {
+    return array_get_int_ptr(srv->status, s, len);
+}
+
+static inline
+void status_counter_inc(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len) {
+    ++(*array_get_int_ptr(srv->status, s, len));
+}
+
+static inline
+void status_counter_dec(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len) {
+    --(*array_get_int_ptr(srv->status, s, len));
+}
+
+static inline
+void status_counter_set(server *srv, const char *s, size_t len, int val) {
+    *array_get_int_ptr(srv->status, s, len) = val;
+}
+
+
 #endif