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Does GCC include any flags to prevent this sort of detrimental optimization?

There's a bunch listed (https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-3.1/gcc/Optimize-Options....), including

-O0 // Do Not Optimise

This sounds like it should do the trick (but I've not done C coding for quite some time, so I don't know if there's a nuance as to why it wouldn't), but would also presumably kill any other optimisation.

A better option may be to combine that with pragmas (https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Function-Specific-Option-...) to switch optimisation levels within the code.

Anyone who's played with GCC recently know whether this would work or not?

You mean something like friendly C: http://blog.regehr.org/archives/1180

(discussed on HN 8 days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8233484)

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