diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c1afcf96c..d06f54cdd 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -92,6 +92,19 @@ if( MSVC )
 	# Set floating point model to fast or the GL render will suffer for it.
 	set( ALL_C_FLAGS "/GF /Gy /GR- /fp:fast" )
 	
+	if( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES "4")
+		# SSE2 option (mostly to switch it off in VC2012 and later where it's the default
+		option (ZDOOM_USE_SSE2	"Use SSE2 instruction set")
+		if (ZDOOM_USE_SSE2)
+			set( ALL_C_FLAGS "${ALL_C_FLAGS} /arch:SSE2")
+		else (ZDOOM_USE_SSE2)
+			if (MSVC_VERSION GREATER 1699)
+				# On Visual C++ 2012 and later SSE2 is the default, so we need to switch it off explicitly
+				set( ALL_C_FLAGS "${ALL_C_FLAGS} /arch:IA32")
+			endif (MSVC_VERSION GREATER 1699)
+		endif (ZDOOM_USE_SSE2)
+	endif( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES "4")
+	
 	# Avoid CRT DLL dependancies in release builds, optionally generate assembly output for checking crash locations.
 	option( ZDOOM_GENERATE_ASM "Generate assembly output." OFF )
 	if( ZDOOM_GENERATE_ASM )
@@ -99,6 +112,7 @@ if( MSVC )
 	else( ZDOOM_GENERATE_ASM )
 		set( REL_C_FLAGS "/MT /Oy /Oi" )
 	endif( ZDOOM_GENERATE_ASM )
+
 	
 	# Debug allocations in debug builds
 	set( DEB_C_FLAGS "/D _CRTDBG_MAP_ALLOC /MTd" )
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 51c96f2cc..69b9ecb29 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -398,20 +398,23 @@ endif( APPLE )
 
 set( SSE_MATTERS NO )
 
-# SSE only matters on 32-bit targets. We check compiler flags to know if we can do it.
-if( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES "4" AND NOT CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES MATCHES ppc )
-	CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( "-msse2 -mfpmath=sse" CAN_DO_MFPMATH )
-	CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( -arch:SSE2 CAN_DO_ARCHSSE2 )
-	if( CAN_DO_MFPMATH )
-		set( SSE1_ENABLE "-msse -mfpmath=sse" )
-		set( SSE2_ENABLE "-msse2 -mfpmath=sse" )
-		set( SSE_MATTERS YES )
-	elseif( CAN_DO_ARCHSSE2 )
-		set( SSE1_ENABLE -arch:SSE )
-		set( SSE2_ENABLE -arch:SSE2 )
-		set( SSE_MATTERS YES )
-	endif( CAN_DO_MFPMATH )
-endif( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES "4" AND NOT CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES MATCHES ppc )
+# with global use of SSE 2 we do not need special handling for selected files
+if (NOT ZDOOM_USE_SSE2)
+	# SSE only matters on 32-bit targets. We check compiler flags to know if we can do it.
+	if( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES "4" AND NOT CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES MATCHES ppc )
+		CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( "-msse2 -mfpmath=sse" CAN_DO_MFPMATH )
+		CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG( -arch:SSE2 CAN_DO_ARCHSSE2 )
+		if( CAN_DO_MFPMATH )
+			set( SSE1_ENABLE "-msse -mfpmath=sse" )
+			set( SSE2_ENABLE "-msse2 -mfpmath=sse" )
+			set( SSE_MATTERS YES )
+		elseif( CAN_DO_ARCHSSE2 )
+			set( SSE1_ENABLE -arch:SSE )
+			set( SSE2_ENABLE -arch:SSE2 )
+			set( SSE_MATTERS YES )
+		endif( CAN_DO_MFPMATH )
+	endif( CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P MATCHES "4" AND NOT CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES MATCHES ppc )
+endif (NOT ZDOOM_USE_SSE2)
 
 if( SSE_MATTERS )
 	if( WIN32 )