diff --git a/basis/io/streams/string/string.factor b/basis/io/streams/string/string.factor
index e9ee4cb204..f27e308326 100644
--- a/basis/io/streams/string/string.factor
+++ b/basis/io/streams/string/string.factor
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ PRIVATE>
 M: sbuf stream-element-type drop +character+ ;
 
 : <string-writer> ( -- stream )
-    512 <sbuf> ;
+    512 <sbuf> ; inline
 
 : with-string-writer ( quot -- str )
     <string-writer> [