diff --git a/code/CMakeLists.txt b/code/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ae1a7e63..d5d05db18 100644
--- a/code/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -186,6 +186,8 @@ SET( Common_SRCS
   Bitmap.cpp
   Version.cpp
   CreateAnimMesh.cpp
+  simd.h
+  simd.cpp
 )
 SOURCE_GROUP(Common FILES ${Common_SRCS})
 
diff --git a/code/simd.cpp b/code/simd.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e07398156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/simd.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#include "simd.h"
+
+namespace Assimp {
+    bool CPUSupportsSSE2() {
+#if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(_M_X64)
+        //* x86_64 always has SSE2 instructions */
+        return true;
+#elif defined(__GNUC__) && defined(i386)
+        // for GCC x86 we check cpuid
+        unsigned int d;
+        __asm__(
+            "pushl %%ebx\n\t"
+            "cpuid\n\t"
+            "popl %%ebx\n\t"
+            : "=d" ( d )
+            :"a" ( 1 ) );
+        return ( d & 0x04000000 ) != 0;
+#elif (defined(_MSC_VER) && defined(_M_IX86))
+        // also check cpuid for MSVC x86
+        unsigned int d;
+        __asm {
+            xor     eax, eax
+            inc eax
+            push ebx
+            cpuid
+            pop ebx
+            mov d, edx
+        }
+        return ( d & 0x04000000 ) != 0;
+#else
+        return false;
+#endif
+    }
+}
diff --git a/code/simd.h b/code/simd.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d490cbe85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/simd.h
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#pragma once
+
+namespace Assimp {
+    bool CPUSupportsSSE2();
+}
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 049dbcdd2..7c5ff3706 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ endif()
 LINK_DIRECTORIES( ${Assimp_BINARY_DIR} ${AssetImporter_BINARY_DIR}/lib )
 
 SET( COMMON
+  unit/utSimd.cpp
   unit/utIOSystem.cpp
   unit/utIOStreamBuffer.cpp
   unit/utIssues.cpp
diff --git a/test/unit/utAnim.cpp b/test/unit/utAnim.cpp
index 04ee8c96d..40c840d7e 100644
--- a/test/unit/utAnim.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/utAnim.cpp
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ Open Asset Import Library (assimp)
 
 Copyright (c) 2006-2018, assimp team
 
-
-
 All rights reserved.
 
 Redistribution and use of this software in source and binary forms,
@@ -106,4 +104,4 @@ TEST_F( utAnim, aiAnimationTest ) {
         ok = false;
     }
     EXPECT_TRUE( ok );
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}