diff --git a/src/util/simd_utils.h b/src/util/simd_utils.h
index dc8922fd..b7cb1c0f 100644
--- a/src/util/simd_utils.h
+++ b/src/util/simd_utils.h
@@ -176,7 +176,15 @@ static really_inline u64a movq(const m128 in) {
 /* another form of movq */
 static really_inline
 m128 load_m128_from_u64a(const u64a *p) {
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__INTEL_COMPILER)
+    /* unfortunately _mm_loadl_epi64() is best avoided as it seems to cause
+     * trouble on some older compilers, possibly because it is misdefined to
+     * take an m128 as its parameter */
+    return _mm_set_epi64((__m64)0ULL, (__m64)*p);
+#else
+    /* ICC doesn't like casting to __m64 */
     return _mm_loadl_epi64((const m128 *)p);
+#endif
 }
 
 #define rshiftbyte_m128(a, count_immed) _mm_srli_si128(a, count_immed)