diff --git a/core/dbt/task/compile.py b/core/dbt/task/compile.py
index 5470c67c68d..d2460852fc5 100644
--- a/core/dbt/task/compile.py
+++ b/core/dbt/task/compile.py
@@ -104,6 +104,12 @@ def _runtime_initialize(self):
                 )
                 sql_node = block_parser.parse_remote(self.args.inline, "inline_query")
                 process_node(self.config, self.manifest, sql_node)
+                # Special hack to remove disabled, if it's there. This would only happen
+                # if all models are disabled in dbt_project
+                if sql_node.config.enabled is False:
+                    sql_node.config.enabled = True
+                    self.manifest.disabled.pop(sql_node.unique_id)
+                    self.manifest.nodes[sql_node.unique_id] = sql_node
                 # keep track of the node added to the manifest
                 self._inline_node_id = sql_node.unique_id
             except CompilationError as exc:
diff --git a/tests/functional/graph_selection/test_inline.py b/tests/functional/graph_selection/test_inline.py
index 7ba4791cc65..bf01ec8ae6a 100644
--- a/tests/functional/graph_selection/test_inline.py
+++ b/tests/functional/graph_selection/test_inline.py
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ def test_inline_selectors(self, project):
         assert len(results) == 1
         assert "Compiled inline node is:" in log_output
 
-        # Set all models to disabled, even inline model doesn't run
+        # Set all models to disabled, check that we still get inline result
         write_file(dbt_project_yml_disabled_models, project.project_root, "dbt_project.yml")
         (results, log_output) = run_dbt_and_capture(["compile", "--inline", "select 1 as id"])
-        assert len(results) == 0
+        assert len(results) == 1
 
         # put back non-disabled dbt_project and check for mutually exclusive error message
         # for --select and --inline