diff --git a/avl.c b/avl.c
index fa23b03..6019a9a 100644
--- a/avl.c
+++ b/avl.c
@@ -102,32 +102,6 @@ avl_init(struct avl_tree *tree, avl_tree_comp comp, bool allow_dups, void *ptr)
   tree->cmp_ptr = ptr;
 }
 
-/**
- * Internal function to support returning the element from a avl tree query
- * @param tree pointer to avl tree
- * @param key pointer to key
- * @param offset offset of node inside the embedded struct
- * @param mode mode of lookup operation (less equal, equal or greater equal)
- * @param pointer to elemen, NULL if no fitting one was found
- */
-void *
-__avl_find_element(const struct avl_tree *tree, const void *key, size_t offset, enum avl_find_mode mode) {
-  void *node = NULL;
-
-  switch (mode) {
-    case AVL_FIND_EQUAL:
-      node = avl_find(tree, key);
-      break;
-    case AVL_FIND_LESSEQUAL:
-      node = avl_find_lessequal(tree, key);
-      break;
-    case AVL_FIND_GREATEREQUAL:
-      node = avl_find_greaterequal(tree, key);
-      break;
-  }
-  return node == NULL ? NULL : (((char *)node) - offset);
-}
-
 /**
  * Finds a node in an avl-tree with a certain key
  * @param tree pointer to avl-tree
diff --git a/avl.h b/avl.h
index 80a29b7..a563716 100644
--- a/avl.h
+++ b/avl.h
@@ -160,8 +160,6 @@ struct avl_node *EXPORT(avl_find_greaterequal)(const struct avl_tree *tree, cons
 struct avl_node *EXPORT(avl_find_lessequal)(const struct avl_tree *tree, const void *key);
 int EXPORT(avl_insert)(struct avl_tree *, struct avl_node *);
 void EXPORT(avl_delete)(struct avl_tree *, struct avl_node *);
-void *EXPORT(__avl_find_element)(const struct avl_tree *tree, const void *key,
-    size_t offset, enum avl_find_mode mode);
 
 /**
  * @param tree pointer to avl-tree
@@ -192,6 +190,32 @@ avl_is_empty(struct avl_tree *tree) {
   return tree->count == 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Internal function to support returning the element from a avl tree query
+ * @param tree pointer to avl tree
+ * @param key pointer to key
+ * @param offset offset of node inside the embedded struct
+ * @param mode mode of lookup operation (less equal, equal or greater equal)
+ * @param pointer to elemen, NULL if no fitting one was found
+ */
+static inline void *
+__avl_find_element(const struct avl_tree *tree, const void *key, size_t offset, enum avl_find_mode mode) {
+  void *node = NULL;
+
+  switch (mode) {
+    case AVL_FIND_EQUAL:
+      node = avl_find(tree, key);
+      break;
+    case AVL_FIND_LESSEQUAL:
+      node = avl_find_lessequal(tree, key);
+      break;
+    case AVL_FIND_GREATEREQUAL:
+      node = avl_find_greaterequal(tree, key);
+      break;
+  }
+  return node == NULL ? NULL : (((char *)node) - offset);
+}
+
 /**
  * @param tree pointer to avl-tree
  * @param key pointer to key