diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 77cbe5efef6..7f62618e8f2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1260,34 +1260,36 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
   endif
 endif
 
-if host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('x86') and cc.get_argument_syntax() != 'msvc'
+sse41_args = []
+with_sse41 = false
+if host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('x86')
   pre_args += '-DUSE_SSE41'
   with_sse41 = true
-  sse41_args = ['-msse4.1']
 
-  if host_machine.cpu_family() == 'x86'
-    if get_option('sse2')
-      # These settings make generated GCC code match MSVC and follow
-      # GCC advice on https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/FloatingPointMath#x86note
-      #
-      # NOTE: We need to ensure stack is realigned given that we
-      # produce shared objects, and have no control over the stack
-      # alignment policy of the application. Therefore we need
-      # -mstackrealign or -mincoming-stack-boundary=2.
-      #
-      # XXX: We could have SSE without -mstackrealign if we always used
-      # __attribute__((force_align_arg_pointer)), but that's not
-      # always the case.
-      c_args += ['-msse2', '-mfpmath=sse', '-mstackrealign']
-    else
-      # GCC on x86 (not x86_64) with -msse* assumes a 16 byte aligned stack, but
-      # that's not guaranteed
-      sse41_args += '-mstackrealign'
+  if cc.get_id() != 'msvc'
+    sse41_args = ['-msse4.1']
+
+    if host_machine.cpu_family() == 'x86'
+      if get_option('sse2')
+        # These settings make generated GCC code match MSVC and follow
+        # GCC advice on https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/FloatingPointMath#x86note
+        #
+        # NOTE: We need to ensure stack is realigned given that we
+        # produce shared objects, and have no control over the stack
+        # alignment policy of the application. Therefore we need
+        # -mstackrealign or -mincoming-stack-boundary=2.
+        #
+        # XXX: We could have SSE without -mstackrealign if we always used
+        # __attribute__((force_align_arg_pointer)), but that's not
+        # always the case.
+        c_args += ['-msse2', '-mfpmath=sse', '-mstackrealign']
+      else
+        # GCC on x86 (not x86_64) with -msse* assumes a 16 byte aligned stack, but
+        # that's not guaranteed
+        sse41_args += '-mstackrealign'
+      endif
     endif
   endif
-else
-  with_sse41 = false
-  sse41_args = []
 endif
 
 # Check for GCC style atomics