diff --git a/include/linux/io.h b/include/linux/io.h
index 8423dd37651..e3b2dda6c8e 100644
--- a/include/linux/io.h
+++ b/include/linux/io.h
@@ -63,32 +63,7 @@ void __iomem * devm_ioremap(struct device *dev, unsigned long offset,
 void __iomem * devm_ioremap_nocache(struct device *dev, unsigned long offset,
 				    unsigned long size);
 void devm_iounmap(struct device *dev, void __iomem *addr);
-
-/**
- *	check_signature		-	find BIOS signatures
- *	@io_addr: mmio address to check
- *	@signature:  signature block
- *	@length: length of signature
- *
- *	Perform a signature comparison with the mmio address io_addr. This
- *	address should have been obtained by ioremap.
- *	Returns 1 on a match.
- */
-
-static inline int check_signature(const volatile void __iomem *io_addr,
-	const unsigned char *signature, int length)
-{
-	int retval = 0;
-	do {
-		if (readb(io_addr) != *signature)
-			goto out;
-		io_addr++;
-		signature++;
-		length--;
-	} while (length);
-	retval = 1;
-out:
-	return retval;
-}
+int check_signature(const volatile void __iomem *io_addr,
+			const unsigned char *signature, int length);
 
 #endif /* _LINUX_IO_H */
diff --git a/lib/Makefile b/lib/Makefile
index d1b366bdf86..d7a93ff7f5a 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile
+++ b/lib/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ lib-$(CONFIG_SMP) += cpumask.o
 lib-y	+= kobject.o kref.o kobject_uevent.o klist.o
 
 obj-y += div64.o sort.o parser.o halfmd4.o debug_locks.o random32.o \
-	 bust_spinlocks.o hexdump.o
+	 bust_spinlocks.o hexdump.o check_signature.o
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT),y)
 CFLAGS_kobject.o += -DDEBUG
diff --git a/lib/check_signature.c b/lib/check_signature.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fd6af199247
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/check_signature.c
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#include <linux/io.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
+
+/**
+ *	check_signature		-	find BIOS signatures
+ *	@io_addr: mmio address to check
+ *	@signature:  signature block
+ *	@length: length of signature
+ *
+ *	Perform a signature comparison with the mmio address io_addr. This
+ *	address should have been obtained by ioremap.
+ *	Returns 1 on a match.
+ */
+
+int check_signature(const volatile void __iomem *io_addr,
+			const unsigned char *signature, int length)
+{
+	while (length--) {
+		if (readb(io_addr) != *signature)
+			return 0;
+		io_addr++;
+		signature++;
+	}
+	return 1;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(check_signature);