diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/PerformanceCounter.kt b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/PerformanceCounter.kt
index b53a9b27993..0f1c81f96a0 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/PerformanceCounter.kt
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/PerformanceCounter.kt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public abstract class PerformanceCounter protected constructor(val name: String)
 
         public fun create(name: String, vararg excluded: PerformanceCounter): PerformanceCounter = CounterWithExclude(name, *excluded)
 
-        protected inline fun <T> getOrPut(threadLocal: ThreadLocal<T>, default: () -> T) : T {
+        internal inline fun <T> getOrPut(threadLocal: ThreadLocal<T>, default: () -> T) : T {
             var value = threadLocal.get()
             if (value == null) {
                 value = default()