Context. The role of disks in the formation of high-mass stars is still a matter of debate but the detection of circumstellar disks around O-type stars would have a profound impact on high-mass star formation theories. Aims: We made a detailed observational analysis of a well known hot molecular core lying in the high-mass star-forming region G31.41+0.31. This core is believed to contain deeply embedded massive stars and presents a velocity gradient that has been interpreted either