diff --git a/basis/cpu/x86/64/64.factor b/basis/cpu/x86/64/64.factor
index 2883d70028..ad4fc626f1 100644
--- a/basis/cpu/x86/64/64.factor
+++ b/basis/cpu/x86/64/64.factor
@@ -179,3 +179,5 @@ USE: vocabs.loader
     { [ os unix? ] [ "cpu.x86.64.unix" require ] }
     { [ os winnt? ] [ "cpu.x86.64.winnt" require ] }
 } cond
+
+check-sse
diff --git a/basis/cpu/x86/x86.factor b/basis/cpu/x86/x86.factor
index 205b3fd65f..2a115532fa 100644
--- a/basis/cpu/x86/x86.factor
+++ b/basis/cpu/x86/x86.factor
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ enable-fsqrt
 
 : check-sse ( -- )
     "Checking for multimedia extensions... " write flush
-    [ { (sse-version) popcnt? } compile ] with-optimizer
+    [ { (sse-version) } compile ] with-optimizer
     sse-version
     [ sse-string " detected" append print ]
     [ 20 < "cpu.x86.x87" "cpu.x86.sse" ? require ] bi ;