diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2218e35e..54e22904 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ include (${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}/platform.cmake)
 # Detect OS and if Fat Runtime is available
 include (${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}/osdetection.cmake)
 
+if(BUILD_SSE2_SIMDE)
+    set(SIMDE_BACKEND True)
+endif()
+
 if(SIMDE_BACKEND)
     include (${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}/simde.cmake)
 elseif (ARCH_IA32 OR ARCH_X86_64)
diff --git a/cmake/cflags-x86.cmake b/cmake/cflags-x86.cmake
index 020064fe..4e2b8a7d 100644
--- a/cmake/cflags-x86.cmake
+++ b/cmake/cflags-x86.cmake
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@ if (NOT FAT_RUNTIME)
         set(ARCH_C_FLAGS "-mavx2")
         set(ARCH_CXX_FLAGS "-mavx2")
         set(X86_ARCH "core-avx2")
-    elseif (BUILD_SSE2_SIMDE)
-        set(ARCH_C_FLAGS "-msse2")
-        set(ARCH_CXX_FLAGS "-msse2")
-        set(X86_ARCH "x86-64")
     else()
         set(ARCH_C_FLAGS "-msse4.2")
         set(ARCH_CXX_FLAGS "-msse4.2")
diff --git a/cmake/simde.cmake b/cmake/simde.cmake
index 9240fdc2..9cfaaf4b 100644
--- a/cmake/simde.cmake
+++ b/cmake/simde.cmake
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ if (SIMDE_SSE42_H_FOUND)
     set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DVS_SIMDE_NATIVE -DSIMDE_ENABLE_OPENMP -fopenmp-simd")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DVS_SIMDE_NATIVE -DSIMDE_ENABLE_OPENMP -fopenmp-simd")
   endif()
+
+  if (BUILD_SSE2_SIMDE)
+      set(ARCH_C_FLAGS "-msse2")
+      set(ARCH_CXX_FLAGS "-msse2")
+      set(X86_ARCH "x86-64")
+  endif()
+
 else()
   message(FATAL_ERROR "SIMDe backend requested but SIMDe is not available on the system")
 endif()