diff --git a/autoconf_share/variants b/autoconf_share/variants
index 1843d7b9ab92be6486dafe7880e48c41fb9aba40..e52e85418c903fb90e609fa0df81917dfe091d45 100644
--- a/autoconf_share/variants
+++ b/autoconf_share/variants
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ scampi.var:		  --with-scampi
 vbroker.var:		  --with-vbroker
 threads.var:              --with-threads
 nothreads.var:            --with-threads=no  
-sse.var:                  --with-sse
+sse.var:                  --without-sse
 shmem.var:                --with-shmem
 noshmem.var:              --with-shmem=no
 bgl_cpp.var:              --with-cppflags='-qarch=440d -qinfo=pro:gen -qcpluscmt -I. -qlist -qsource -qmaxmem=64000 -I/bgl/BlueLight/ppcfloor/bglsys/include/ -DHAVE_BGL -DYY_NEVER_INTERACTIVE'
diff --git a/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17 b/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17
index f5910b5695856989e952904c4914ad7be6fa1fbf..219aa18fc4c4f81f49c553a0f43c0524e046c488 100644
--- a/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17
+++ b/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17
@@ -1,20 +1,19 @@
 gnu3.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/bin/g++"
 gnu3.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/weekly/linux_gnu
-gnu3.compiler.sse.var:    --without-sse
 
 gnu.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/bin/g++"
 gnu.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/weekly/linux_gnu
-gnu.compiler.sse.var:    --without-sse
 
 gnu34.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/local/gcc343/bin/g++" --with-ldflags="-Wl,--rpath,/usr/local/gcc343/lib" 
 gnu34.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/weekly/linux_gnu34
+gnu34.compiler.sse.var:    --with-sse
 
 gnunew.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/local/gcc343/bin/g++" --with-ldflags="-Wl,--rpath,/usr/local/gcc343/lib"
 gnunew.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/weekly/linux_gnu34
+gnunew.compiler.sse.var:    --with-sse
 
 icc.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/local/compiler80/bin/icc" --with-cppflags="-cxxlib-gcc" --with-ldflags="-cxxlib-gcc -Xlinker -rpath -Xlinker /usr/local/compiler80/lib"
 icc.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/weekly/linux_gnu --with-blitz=/usr/local/blitz/gnu --with-fftw2=/usr/local/fftw2/gnu --with-dtl=/usr/local/dtl/gnu
-icc.compiler.sse.var:    --without-sse
 
 insure.variant.conf:     --with-insuretools=/usr/local/insure/bin.linux2 $(aipspp)