diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4fec90541a..d6416d68d3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -189,9 +189,33 @@ OMPI_C_GET_ALIGNMENT(void *, OMPI_ALIGNMENT_VOID_P)
 # Check for other compiler characteristics
 #
 
+if test "$GCC" = "yes"; then
+
+    # gcc 2.96 will emit oodles of warnings if you use "inline" with
+    # -pedantic (which we do in developer builds).  However,
+    # "__inline__" is ok.  So we have to force gcc to select the
+    # right one.  If you use -pedantic, the AC_C_INLINE test will fail
+    # (because it names a function foo() -- without the (void)).  So
+    # we turn off all the picky flags, turn on -ansi mode (which is
+    # implied by -pedantic), and set warnings to be errors.  Hence,
+    # this does the following (for 2.96):
+    #
+    # - causes the check for "inline" to emit a warning, which then
+    # fails
+    # - checks for __inline__, which then emits no error, and works
+    #
+    # This also works nicely for gcc 3.x because "inline" will work on
+    # the first check, and all is fine.  :-)
+
+    CFLAGS_save="$CFLAGS"
+    CFLAGS="$OMPI_CFLAGS_BEFORE_PICKY -Werror -ansi"
+fi
 AC_C_INLINE
 AC_C_RESTRICT
 OMPI_C_WEAK_SYMBOLS
+if test "$GCC" = "yes"; then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS_save"
+fi
 
 # If we want the profiling layer:
 # - If the C compiler has weak symbols, use those.