diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 63f46a202..3b6cf158d 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -830,6 +830,21 @@ else()
 		set(OTHER_FLAGS "${OTHER_FLAGS} -mthreads -fexceptions")
 	endif()
 
+	# only related to moder x86 32bit platforms using gcc compilers
+	if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU")
+		if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.7)
+			# Enable SSE for floating point math on 32-bit x86 by default
+			# reasoning see minetest issue #11810 and https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/FloatingPointMath
+			if(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 4)
+				check_c_source_compiles("#ifndef __i686__\n#error\n#endif\nint main(){}" IS_I686)
+				if(IS_I686)
+					message(STATUS "Detected Intel x86: using SSE instead of x87 FPU")
+					set(OTHER_FLAGS "${OTHER_FLAGS} -mfpmath=sse -msse")
+				endif()
+			endif()
+		endif()
+	endif()
+
 	set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "-DNDEBUG ${RELEASE_WARNING_FLAGS} ${WARNING_FLAGS} ${OTHER_FLAGS} -Wall -pipe -funroll-loops")
 	if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "(Darwin|BSD|DragonFly)")
 		set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Os")