--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -985,6 +985,7 @@
 AC_SUBST(PIE_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(PIE_LDFLAGS)
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(sse4_2,[  --enable-sse4_2         Support SSE4.2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.2) instructions],[
 CFLAGS_before_simd="$CFLAGS"
 AC_WIRESHARK_COMPILER_FLAGS_CHECK(-msse4.2, C)
 if test "x$CFLAGS" != "x$CFLAGS_before_simd"
@@ -1011,6 +1012,9 @@
 else
 	have_sse42=no
 fi
+],[
+AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+])
 dnl build libwsutil_sse42 only if there is SSE4.2
 AM_CONDITIONAL(SSE42_SUPPORTED, test "x$have_sse42" = "xyes")
 AC_SUBST(CFLAGS_SSE42)