diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 84270e3..61f5fdf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ######## Project settings
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.5)
+include(CheckCCompilerFlag)
 set (PACKAGE_NAME uchardet)
 project (${PACKAGE_NAME} CXX C)
 enable_testing()
@@ -37,11 +38,22 @@ include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
 option(BUILD_BINARY "Build executable" ON)
 option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build shared library and link executable to it" ON)
+option(ENABLE_SSE2 "Enable SSE2 extensions if the compiler supports it" ON)
 
 if (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 	option(BUILD_STATIC "Build static library" ON)
 endif (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 
+CHECK_C_COMPILER_FLAG(-msse2 SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE2)
+CHECK_C_COMPILER_FLAG(-mfpmath=sse SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE_MATH)
+if (ENABLE_SSE2 AND SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE2 AND SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE_MATH)
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -msse2 -mfpmath=sse")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -msse2 -mfpmath=sse")
+else (ENABLE_SSE2 AND SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE2 AND SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE_MATH)
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -ffloat-store")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -ffloat-store")
+endif (ENABLE_SSE2 AND SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE2 AND SUPPORTS_CFLAG_SSE_MATH)
+
 configure_file(
 	uchardet.pc.in
 	uchardet.pc