diff --git a/src/binaryen-c.cpp b/src/binaryen-c.cpp
index 9ed6ad31455..4bd0b6b0e4d 100644
--- a/src/binaryen-c.cpp
+++ b/src/binaryen-c.cpp
@@ -2685,6 +2685,22 @@ void BinaryenFunctionSetDebugLocation(BinaryenFunctionRef func, BinaryenExpressi
 
   fn->debugLocations[ex] = loc;
 }
+int BinaryenFunctionGetUserFlags(BinaryenFunctionRef func) {
+  if (tracing) {
+    std::cout << "  BinaryenFunctionGetUserFlags(functions[" << functions[func] << "]);\n";
+  }
+
+  auto* fn = (Function*)func;
+  return static_cast<int>(fn->userFlags);
+}
+void BinaryenFunctionSetUserFlags(BinaryenFunctionRef func, int flags) {
+  if (tracing) {
+    std::cout << "  BinaryenFunctionSetUserFlags(functions[" << functions[func] << "], " << flags << ");\n";
+  }
+
+  auto* fn = (Function*)func;
+  fn->userFlags = (Function::UserFlags)flags;
+}
 
 //
 // =========== Import operations ===========
diff --git a/src/binaryen-c.h b/src/binaryen-c.h
index 2a3254f7b08..2b6176e87cf 100644
--- a/src/binaryen-c.h
+++ b/src/binaryen-c.h
@@ -869,6 +869,11 @@ void BinaryenFunctionRunPasses(BinaryenFunctionRef func, BinaryenModuleRef modul
 // Sets the debug location of the specified `Expression` within the specified `Function`.
 void BinaryenFunctionSetDebugLocation(BinaryenFunctionRef func, BinaryenExpressionRef expr, BinaryenIndex fileIndex, BinaryenIndex lineNumber, BinaryenIndex columnNumber);
 
+// Gets the user defined flags for this function
+int BinaryenFunctionGetUserFlags(BinaryenFunctionRef func);
+// Sets the user defined flags for this function
+void BinaryenFunctionSetUserFlags(BinaryenFunctionRef func, int flags);
+
 //
 // ========== Import Operations ==========
 //
diff --git a/src/passes/Inlining.cpp b/src/passes/Inlining.cpp
index f801662e0eb..f7b32a453ab 100644
--- a/src/passes/Inlining.cpp
+++ b/src/passes/Inlining.cpp
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ struct Inlining : public Pass {
     // decide which to inline
     InliningState state;
     ModuleUtils::iterDefinedFunctions(*module, [&](Function* func) {
-      if (infos[func->name].worthInlining(runner->options)) {
+      if (func->hasUserFlags(Function::UserFlags::Inline) || infos[func->name].worthInlining(runner->options)) {
         state.worthInlining.insert(func->name);
       }
     });
diff --git a/src/wasm.h b/src/wasm.h
index dc24b0f1c83..b4d7ae5dae6 100644
--- a/src/wasm.h
+++ b/src/wasm.h
@@ -781,6 +781,17 @@ class Function : public Importable {
 
   void clearNames();
   void clearDebugInfo();
+
+  // Special flags that can be set by a an API user
+  enum class UserFlags : unsigned int {
+    None = 0,
+    Inline = 1 << 0
+  };
+  UserFlags userFlags = UserFlags::None;
+
+  bool hasUserFlags(UserFlags flags) {
+    return static_cast<UserFlags>((static_cast<int>(userFlags) & static_cast<int>(flags))) == flags;
+  }
 };
 
 // The kind of an import or export.