diff --git a/tket/src/metadata.rs b/tket/src/metadata.rs
index b5bf44bbb..4f298b61a 100644
--- a/tket/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/tket/src/metadata.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,24 @@ impl Metadata for MaxQubits {
     type Type<'hugr> = u32;
 }
 
+/// Metadata hinting the compiler that a function declaration should be inlined at its call sites.
+///
+/// When a function is not annotated, we use an heuristic to determine whether to inline.
+#[derive(
+    Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize,
+)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
+pub enum InlineHint {
+    /// Always inline the function, even if it is large or called from many places.
+    Always,
+    /// Never inline the function.
+    Never,
+}
+impl Metadata for InlineHint {
+    const KEY: &'static str = "tket.hint.inline";
+    type Type<'hugr> = Self;
+}
+
 /// Metadata key for traced rewrites that were applied during circuit transformation.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
 pub struct CircuitRewriteTraces;
diff --git a/tket/src/passes/inline_funcs.rs b/tket/src/passes/inline_funcs.rs
index 1de45d1bb..638f866e5 100644
--- a/tket/src/passes/inline_funcs.rs
+++ b/tket/src/passes/inline_funcs.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use petgraph::algo::tarjan_scc;
 use hugr_core::hugr::{hugrmut::HugrMut, patch::inline_call::InlineCall};
 use hugr_core::module_graph::{ModuleGraph, StaticNode};
 
+use crate::metadata::InlineHint;
 use crate::passes::{ComposablePass, PassScope, WithScope};
 
 /// Error raised by [inline_acyclic]
@@ -54,10 +55,9 @@ impl Default for InlineFuncsHeuristic {
 pub struct InlineFunctionsPass {
     /// Heuristic for deciding which functions to inline.
     heuristic: InlineFuncsHeuristic,
-    /// Whether to follow compiler hints for inlining functions.
-    //
-    // Note that the inline hint metadata has not been defined yet, so this is currently unused.
-    // TODO: <https://github.com/Quantinuum/hugr/issues/2328>
+    /// Whether to follow compiler hints for inlining additional functions.
+    ///
+    /// See the [InlineHint] metadata entry.
     follow_inline_hints: bool,
 
     scope: PassScope,
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@ impl InlineFunctionsPass {
         self
     }
 
-    /// Sets whether to follow compiler hints for inlining functions.
+    /// Sets whether to follow compiler hints for inlining additional functions.
+    ///
+    /// Note that functions annotated with [InlineHint::Never] will never
+    /// be inlined, even if this option is disabled.
     pub fn follow_inline_hints(mut self, follow_inline_hints: bool) -> Self {
         self.follow_inline_hints = follow_inline_hints;
         self
@@ -97,9 +100,13 @@ impl<H: HugrMut> ComposablePass<H> for InlineFunctionsPass {
             let Some(func) = h.static_source(call) else {
                 return false;
             };
-            *should_inline_cache
-                .entry(func)
-                .or_insert_with(|| self.heuristic.should_inline(func, h))
+            *should_inline_cache.entry(func).or_insert_with(|| {
+                match h.get_metadata::<InlineHint>(func) {
+                    Some(InlineHint::Never) => false,
+                    Some(InlineHint::Always) if self.follow_inline_hints => true,
+                    _ => self.heuristic.should_inline(func, h),
+                }
+            })
         })
     }
 }
@@ -366,7 +373,7 @@ mod test {
     #[case::size_zero(InlineFuncsHeuristic::MaxSize(0), vec!["f", "b"])]
     #[case::size_unlimited(InlineFuncsHeuristic::MaxSize(usize::MAX), vec!["f"])]
     #[case::all(InlineFuncsHeuristic::All, vec!["f"])]
-    fn inline_functions_pass_respects_max_inline_size(
+    fn inline_functions_pass_heuristic(
         #[case] heuristic: InlineFuncsHeuristic,
         #[case] g_targets: Vec<&'static str>,
     ) {
@@ -387,4 +394,45 @@ mod test {
             HashSet::from_iter(g_targets),
         );
     }
+
+    #[rstest]
+    #[case::follow_hints(true, vec!["f", "c"])]
+    #[case::ignore_hints(false, vec!["f", "b"])]
+    fn inline_functions_pass_hints(
+        #[case] follow_hints: bool,
+        #[case] g_targets: Vec<&'static str>,
+    ) {
+        use hugr::hugr::hugrmut::HugrMut;
+
+        use crate::metadata::InlineHint;
+
+        let mut h = make_test_hugr();
+        let b = find_func(&h, "b");
+        let c = find_func(&h, "c");
+        let f = find_func(&h, "f");
+        // This should be inlined
+        h.set_metadata::<InlineHint>(b, InlineHint::Always);
+        // This should never be inlined, even if `follow_hints` is false.
+        h.set_metadata::<InlineHint>(c, InlineHint::Never);
+        // This should be ignored, as `f` is in a double-recursive loop with `g`.
+        h.set_metadata::<InlineHint>(f, InlineHint::Always);
+
+        run_validating(
+            InlineFunctionsPass::default()
+                .with_heuristic(InlineFuncsHeuristic::MaxSize(0))
+                .follow_inline_hints(follow_hints),
+            &mut h,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let cg = ModuleGraph::new(&h);
+        let g = find_func(&h, "g");
+        assert_eq!(
+            outgoing_calls(&cg, g)
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|n| func_name(&h, n).as_str())
+                .collect::<HashSet<_>>(),
+            HashSet::from_iter(g_targets),
+        );
+    }
 }