diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e48137f..fbec94e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ asm_arch=""
 ASM_FLAGS=""
 ASM_SOURCES=""
 ASM_API=""
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable assembly])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable assembly at all])
 test "x$enable_asm" = xno && AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
 # disable if cross compiling on x86/x86_64 since we must run gen_matypes
 if test "x$enable_asm" = xyes && test "x$cross_compiling" = xyes; then
@@ -294,22 +294,111 @@ if test "x$enable_asm" = xyes; then
 
     case "$asm_arch" in
     x86)
-        ASM_FLAGS="-DUSE_X86_ASM -DUSE_MMX_ASM -DUSE_3DNOW_ASM -DUSE_SSE_ASM"
-        ASM_SOURCES='$(X86_SOURCES)'
-        ASM_API='$(X86_API)'
-        AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, x86])
+	#ASM_FLAGS="-DUSE_X86_ASM -DUSE_MMX_ASM -DUSE_3DNOW_ASM -DUSE_SSE_ASM"
+	
+	dnl specifically disable x86 assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([x86_asm],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-x86-asm],
+	    [on x86, disable x86 specific assembly code @<:@default=enabled on x86@:>@])],
+	    [enable_x86_asm="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_x86_asm=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_x86_asm" = xyes; then
+	    ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_X86_ASM"
+	fi
+
+	dnl specifically disable x86 SSE assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([x86_sse],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-x86-sse],
+	    [on x86, disable SSE asm implementations @<:@default=enabled on x86@:>@])],
+	    [enable_x86_sse="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_x86_sse=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_x86_sse" = xyes; then
+	    ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_SSE_ASM"
+	fi
+
+	dnl specifically disable x86 MMX assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([x86_mmx],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-x86-mmx],
+	    [on x86, disable MMX assembly code @<:@default=enabled on x86@:>@])],
+	    [enable_x86_mmx="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_x86_mmx=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_x86_mmx" = xyes; then
+	    ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_MMX_ASM"
+	fi
+
+	dnl specifically disable x86 3DNOW assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([x86_3dnow],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-x86-3dnow],
+	    [on x86, disable 3DNOW! assembly code @<:@default=enabled on x86@:>@])],
+	    [enable_x86_3dnow="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_x86_3dnow=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_x86_3dnow" = xyes; then
+	    ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_3DNOW_ASM"
+	fi
+
+	if test -n "${ASM_FLAGS}" ; then 
+        	ASM_SOURCES='$(X86_SOURCES)'
+        	ASM_API='$(X86_API)'
+        	AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, x86])
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([no, all x86 relevant assembly options are disabled])
+	fi
         ;;
     x86_64)
-        ASM_FLAGS="-DUSE_X86_64_ASM"
-        ASM_SOURCES='$(X86-64_SOURCES)'
-        ASM_API='$(X86-64_API)'
-        AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, x86_64])
+	#ASM_FLAGS="-DUSE_X86_64_ASM"
+	dnl specifically disable x86-64 assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([x86_64_asm],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-x86-64-asm],
+	    [on x86-64, disable x86-64 specific assembly code \
+	    	@<:@default=enabled on x86-64@:>@])],
+	    [enable_x86_64_asm="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_x86_64_asm=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_x86_64_asm" = xyes; then
+	   ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_X86_64_ASM"
+	fi
+
+	if test -n "${ASM_FLAGS}" ; then 
+		ASM_SOURCES='$(X86-64_SOURCES)'
+		ASM_API='$(X86-64_API)'
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, x86-64])
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([no, all x86-64 relevant assembly options are disabled])
+
+	fi
         ;;
     ppc)
-        ASM_FLAGS="-DUSE_PPC_ASM -DUSE_VMX_ASM"
-        ASM_SOURCES='$(PPC_SOURCES)'
-        AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, ppc])
-        ;;
+
+        #ASM_FLAGS="-DUSE_PPC_ASM -DUSE_VMX_ASM"
+
+	dnl specifically disable ppc assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([ppc_asm],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-ppc-asm],
+	    [on ppc, disable ppc specific assembly code @<:@default=enabled on ppc@:>@])],
+	    [enable_ppc_asm="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_ppc_asm=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_ppc_asm" = xyes; then
+	    ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_PPC_ASM"
+	fi
+
+	dnl specifically disable vmx assembly implementations
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([ppc_vmx_asm],
+	    [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-ppc-vmx-asm],
+	    [on ppc, disable vmx specific assembly code @<:@default=enabled on ppc@:>@])],
+	    [enable_ppc_vmx_asm="$enableval"],
+	    [enable_ppc_vmx_asm=yes])
+	if test "x$enable_ppc_vmx_asm" = xyes; then
+	    ASM_FLAGS="$ASM_FLAGS -DUSE_VMX_ASM"
+	fi
+
+
+	if test -n "${ASM_FLAGS}" ; then 
+		ASM_SOURCES='$(PPC_SOURCES)'
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, ppc])
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([no, all ppc relevant assembly options are disabled])
+	fi
+	;;
+	dnl FIXME: missing SPARC here 
     *)
         AC_MSG_RESULT([no, platform not supported])
         ;;