diff --git a/src/emu/devcb.h b/src/emu/devcb.h
index 3eca106611d..2505527caf6 100644
--- a/src/emu/devcb.h
+++ b/src/emu/devcb.h
@@ -466,9 +466,13 @@ private:
 		std::string m_message;
 	};
 
+	template <typename Source, typename Func> class transform_builder; // workaround for GCC 8 not implementing friend properly
+
 	class builder_base
 	{
 	protected:
+		template <typename T, typename U> friend class transform_builder; // workaround for GCC 8 not implementing friend properly
+
 		builder_base(devcb_read &target, bool append) : m_target(target), m_append(append) { }
 		builder_base(builder_base const &) = delete;
 		builder_base(builder_base &&) = default;
@@ -1047,9 +1051,15 @@ private:
 		virtual func_t create() override { return [] (address_space &space, offs_t offset, Input data, std::make_unsigned_t<Input> mem_mask) { }; }
 	};
 
+	template <typename Source, typename Func> class transform_builder; // workaround for GCC 8 not implementing friend properly
+	template <typename Sink, typename Func> class first_transform_builder; // workaround for GCC 8 not implementing friend properly
+
 	class builder_base
 	{
 	protected:
+		template <typename T, typename U> friend class transform_builder; // workaround for GCC 8 not implementing friend properly
+		template <typename T, typename U> friend class first_transform_builder; // workaround for GCC 8 not implementing friend properly
+
 		builder_base(devcb_write &target, bool append) : m_target(target), m_append(append) { }
 		builder_base(builder_base const &) = delete;
 		builder_base(builder_base &&) = default;
@@ -1361,7 +1371,7 @@ private:
 			Delegate m_delegate;
 		};
 
-		friend class delegate_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		delegate_builder(delegate_builder const &) = delete;
 		delegate_builder &operator=(delegate_builder const &) = delete;
@@ -1493,7 +1503,7 @@ private:
 			int const m_linenum;
 		};
 
-		friend class inputline_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		inputline_builder(inputline_builder const &) = delete;
 		inputline_builder &operator=(inputline_builder const &) = delete;
@@ -1650,7 +1660,7 @@ private:
 			int const m_value;
 		};
 
-		friend class latched_inputline_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		latched_inputline_builder(latched_inputline_builder const &) = delete;
 		latched_inputline_builder &operator=(latched_inputline_builder const &) = delete;
@@ -1784,7 +1794,7 @@ private:
 			std::string m_tag;
 		};
 
-		friend class ioport_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		ioport_builder(ioport_builder const &) = delete;
 		ioport_builder &operator=(ioport_builder const &) = delete;
@@ -1884,7 +1894,7 @@ private:
 			std::string m_tag;
 		};
 
-		friend class membank_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		membank_builder(membank_builder const &) = delete;
 		membank_builder &operator=(membank_builder const &) = delete;
@@ -1981,7 +1991,7 @@ private:
 			std::string m_tag;
 		};
 
-		friend class output_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		output_builder(output_builder const &) = delete;
 		output_builder &operator=(output_builder const &) = delete;
@@ -2075,7 +2085,7 @@ private:
 			std::string m_message;
 		};
 
-		friend class log_builder::wrapped_builder;
+		friend class wrapped_builder; // workaround for MSVC
 
 		log_builder(log_builder const &) = delete;
 		log_builder &operator=(log_builder const &) = delete;
diff --git a/src/emu/emumem.h b/src/emu/emumem.h
index 08dbd02ab77..df3efc57385 100644
--- a/src/emu/emumem.h
+++ b/src/emu/emumem.h
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ template<int Width, int AddrShift, int Endian> class memory_units_descriptor;
 
 // =====================-> Address segmentation for the search tree
 
-static inline constexpr int handler_entry_dispatch_lowbits(int highbits, int width, int ashift)
+constexpr int handler_entry_dispatch_lowbits(int highbits, int width, int ashift)
 {
 	return (highbits > 48) ? 48 :
 		(highbits > 32) ? 32 :