diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ab2f41ae..f957377b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ dnl CPU-specific settings.
 CPU_SPINWAIT=""
 case "${host_cpu}" in
   i686|x86_64)
+	HAVE_CPU_SPINWAIT=1
 	if test "x${je_cv_msvc}" = "xyes" ; then
 	    AC_CACHE_VAL([je_cv_pause_msvc],
 	      [JE_COMPILABLE([pause instruction MSVC], [],
@@ -399,13 +400,11 @@ case "${host_cpu}" in
 	    fi
 	fi
 	;;
-  powerpc*)
-	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HAVE_ALTIVEC], [ ])
-	CPU_SPINWAIT='__asm__ volatile("or 31,31,31")'
-	;;
   *)
+	HAVE_CPU_SPINWAIT=0
 	;;
 esac
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HAVE_CPU_SPINWAIT], [$HAVE_CPU_SPINWAIT])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CPU_SPINWAIT], [$CPU_SPINWAIT])
 
 case "${host_cpu}" in
diff --git a/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal_defs.h.in b/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal_defs.h.in
index 5fa7f51f..31262fb2 100644
--- a/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal_defs.h.in
+++ b/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal_defs.h.in
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
  * order to yield to another virtual CPU.
  */
 #undef CPU_SPINWAIT
+/* 1 if CPU_SPINWAIT is defined, 0 otherwise. */
+#undef HAVE_CPU_SPINWAIT
 
 /*
  * Number of significant bits in virtual addresses.  This may be less than the
diff --git a/include/jemalloc/internal/spin.h b/include/jemalloc/internal/spin.h
index aded0fcc..22804c68 100644
--- a/include/jemalloc/internal/spin.h
+++ b/include/jemalloc/internal/spin.h
@@ -7,13 +7,23 @@ typedef struct {
 	unsigned iteration;
 } spin_t;
 
+static inline void
+spin_cpu_spinwait() {
+#  if HAVE_CPU_SPINWAIT
+	CPU_SPINWAIT;
+#  else
+	volatile int x = 0;
+	x = x;
+#  endif
+}
+
 static inline void
 spin_adaptive(spin_t *spin) {
 	volatile uint32_t i;
 
 	if (spin->iteration < 5) {
 		for (i = 0; i < (1U << spin->iteration); i++) {
-			CPU_SPINWAIT;
+			spin_cpu_spinwait();
 		}
 		spin->iteration++;
 	} else {
diff --git a/src/mutex.c b/src/mutex.c
index a528ef0c..3de7f44a 100644
--- a/src/mutex.c
+++ b/src/mutex.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "jemalloc/internal/assert.h"
 #include "jemalloc/internal/malloc_io.h"
+#include "jemalloc/internal/spin.h"
 
 #ifndef _CRT_SPINCOUNT
 #define _CRT_SPINCOUNT 4000
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ malloc_mutex_lock_slow(malloc_mutex_t *mutex) {
 
 	int cnt = 0, max_cnt = MALLOC_MUTEX_MAX_SPIN;
 	do {
-		CPU_SPINWAIT;
+		spin_cpu_spinwait();
 		if (!malloc_mutex_trylock_final(mutex)) {
 			data->n_spin_acquired++;
 			return;