diff --git a/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py b/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py
index f35b7da999c..47434e68d0d 100644
--- a/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py
+++ b/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ def validate_arguments(args, bc):
             'WITH_BF_JEMALLOC', 'WITH_BF_STATICJEMALLOC', 'BF_JEMALLOC', 'BF_JEMALLOC_INC', 'BF_JEMALLOC_LIBPATH', 'BF_JEMALLOC_LIB', 'BF_JEMALLOC_LIB_STATIC',
             'BUILDBOT_BRANCH',
             'WITH_BF_3DMOUSE', 'WITH_BF_STATIC3DMOUSE', 'BF_3DMOUSE', 'BF_3DMOUSE_INC', 'BF_3DMOUSE_LIB', 'BF_3DMOUSE_LIBPATH', 'BF_3DMOUSE_LIB_STATIC',
-            'WITH_BF_CYCLES', 'WITH_BF_CYCLES_CUDA_BINARIES', 'BF_CYCLES_CUDA_NVCC', 'BF_CYCLES_CUDA_NVCC', 'WITH_BF_CYCLES_CUDA_THREADED_COMPILE', 'BF_CYCLES_CUDA_ENV'
+            'WITH_BF_CYCLES', 'WITH_BF_CYCLES_CUDA_BINARIES', 'BF_CYCLES_CUDA_NVCC', 'BF_CYCLES_CUDA_NVCC', 'WITH_BF_CYCLES_CUDA_THREADED_COMPILE', 'BF_CYCLES_CUDA_ENV',
+            'WITH_CYCLES_OPTIMIZED_KERNEL_SSE41',
             'WITH_BF_OIIO', 'WITH_BF_STATICOIIO', 'BF_OIIO', 'BF_OIIO_INC', 'BF_OIIO_LIB', 'BF_OIIO_LIB_STATIC', 'BF_OIIO_LIBPATH',
             'WITH_BF_OCIO', 'WITH_BF_STATICOCIO', 'BF_OCIO', 'BF_OCIO_INC', 'BF_OCIO_LIB', 'BF_OCIO_LIB_STATIC', 'BF_OCIO_LIBPATH',
             'WITH_BF_BOOST', 'WITH_BF_STATICBOOST', 'BF_BOOST', 'BF_BOOST_INC', 'BF_BOOST_LIB', 'BF_BOOST_LIB_INTERNATIONAL', 'BF_BOOST_LIB_STATIC', 'BF_BOOST_LIBPATH',
@@ -572,6 +573,7 @@ def read_opts(env, cfg, args):
         ('BF_CYCLES_CUDA_NVCC', 'CUDA nvcc compiler path', ''),
         ('BF_CYCLES_CUDA_ENV', 'preset environement nvcc will execute in', ''),
         ('BF_CYCLES_CUDA_BINARIES_ARCH', 'CUDA architectures to compile binaries for', []),
+        (BoolVariable('WITH_CYCLES_OPTIMIZED_KERNEL_SSE41', 'Enable building of an extra SSE4.1 kernel', False)),
 
         (BoolVariable('WITH_BF_OIIO', 'Build with OpenImageIO', False)),
         (BoolVariable('WITH_BF_STATICOIIO', 'Statically link to OpenImageIO', False)),
diff --git a/intern/cycles/SConscript b/intern/cycles/SConscript
index eeb60f37f92..448375a04ff 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/SConscript
+++ b/intern/cycles/SConscript
@@ -97,10 +97,11 @@ if env['WITH_BF_RAYOPTIMIZATION']:
     defs.append('WITH_OPTIMIZED_KERNEL')
     optim_defs = defs[:]
 
-	# Disabled sse4+ patchs for now
-	#cycles_sse41 = cycles.Clone()
-	#sse41_sources = [path.join('kernel', 'kernel_sse41.cpp')]
-	#cycles_sse41.BlenderLib('bf_intern_cycles_sse41', sse41_sources, incs, optim_defs, libtype=['intern'], priority=[10], cxx_compileflags=sse41_cxxflags)
+    if env['WITH_CYCLES_OPTIMIZED_KERNEL_SSE41']:
+        cycles_sse41 = cycles.Clone()
+        sse41_sources = [path.join('kernel', 'kernel_sse41.cpp')]
+        cycles_sse41.BlenderLib('bf_intern_cycles_sse41', sse41_sources, incs, optim_defs, libtype=['intern'], priority=[10], cxx_compileflags=sse41_cxxflags)
+        defs.append('WITH_CYCLES_OPTIMIZED_KERNEL_SSE41')
 
     cycles_sse3 = cycles.Clone()
     sse3_sources = [path.join('kernel', 'kernel_sse3.cpp')]