diff --git a/crypto/serpent_generic.c b/crypto/serpent_generic.c
index 7c3382facc82..600bd288881d 100644
--- a/crypto/serpent_generic.c
+++ b/crypto/serpent_generic.c
@@ -229,7 +229,13 @@
 	x4 ^= x2;					\
 	})
 
-static void __serpent_setkey_sbox(u32 r0, u32 r1, u32 r2, u32 r3, u32 r4, u32 *k)
+/*
+ * both gcc and clang have misoptimized this function in the past,
+ * producing horrible object code from spilling temporary variables
+ * on the stack. Forcing this part out of line avoids that.
+ */
+static noinline void __serpent_setkey_sbox(u32 r0, u32 r1, u32 r2,
+					   u32 r3, u32 r4, u32 *k)
 {
 	k += 100;
 	S3(r3, r4, r0, r1, r2); store_and_load_keys(r1, r2, r4, r3, 28, 24);