diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3325abb..80d834a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -138,7 +138,34 @@ message(STATUS "vtk libraries " ${vtk_LIBS})
 include(${VTK_USE_FILE})
 INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES (${VTK_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
-#set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "-msse -march=native")
+if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "x86_64")
+  set(ARCH "x86_64")
+elseif(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "amd64")
+  set(ARCH "x86_64")
+elseif(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "AMD64")
+  set(ARCH "x86_64")
+elseif(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "ppc64")
+  set(ARCH "ppc64")
+elseif(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "ppc64le")
+  set(ARCH "ppc64")
+elseif(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "unknown")
+  set(ARCH "unknown")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Unable to determine target architecture!  Try setting CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR to a valid value.")
+else()
+  set(ARCH "unsupported")
+endif()
+
+if(${ARCH} STREQUAL "x86_64")
+  message(STATUS "Detected 64-bit x86 target")
+  #set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "-msse -march=native")
+elseif(${ARCH} STREQUAL "ppc64")
+  message(STATUS "Detected 64-bit POWER target")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "-DNO_WARN_X86_INTRINSICS -DSSE_CORRECT_DENORMALS")
+elseif(${ARCH} STREQUAL "unsupported")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Unsupported target architecture!  Try porting openEMS to your architecture...")
+else()
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Unable to determine target architecture!  Aborting.")
+endif()
 
 # independent tool
 ADD_SUBDIRECTORY( nf2ff )