diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 2c4f0a5e..58f72e82 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ name = "bit_field"
 version = "0.9.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bit_field"
+version = "0.10.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bitflags"
 version = "1.1.0"
@@ -22,6 +27,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 name = "bootloader"
 version = "0.8.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "bit_field 0.10.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "fixedvec 0.2.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "font8x8 0.2.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "llvm-tools 0.1.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
@@ -106,6 +112,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
 [metadata]
 "checksum array-init 0.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "23589ecb866b460d3a0f1278834750268c607e8e28a1b982c907219f3178cd72"
+"checksum bit_field 0.10.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "a165d606cf084741d4ac3a28fb6e9b1eb0bd31f6cd999098cfddb0b2ab381dc0"
 "checksum bit_field 0.9.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "ed8765909f9009617974ab6b7d332625b320b33c326b1e9321382ef1999b5d56"
 "checksum bitflags 1.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "3d155346769a6855b86399e9bc3814ab343cd3d62c7e985113d46a0ec3c281fd"
 "checksum cast 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "926013f2860c46252efceabb19f4a6b308197505082c609025aa6706c011d427"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 98952880..a128b9d0 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ xmas-elf = { version = "0.6.2", optional = true }
 x86_64 = { version = "0.7.2", optional = true }
 usize_conversions = { version = "0.2.0", optional = true }
 fixedvec = { version = "0.2.4", optional = true }
+bit_field = { version = "0.10.0", optional = true }
 
 [dependencies.font8x8]
 version = "0.2.4"
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ binary = ["xmas-elf", "x86_64", "usize_conversions", "fixedvec", "llvm-tools", "
 vga_320x200 = ["font8x8"]
 recursive_page_table = []
 map_physical_memory = []
+sse = ["bit_field"]
 
 [profile.dev]
 panic = "abort"
diff --git a/example-kernel/Cargo.lock b/example-kernel/Cargo.lock
index be9487bc..5fecdd3d 100644
--- a/example-kernel/Cargo.lock
+++ b/example-kernel/Cargo.lock
@@ -18,10 +18,15 @@ name = "bitflags"
 version = "1.0.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bootloader"
+version = "0.8.0"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "example-kernel"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "bootloader 0.8.0",
  "x86_64 0.3.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
diff --git a/example-kernel/src/main.rs b/example-kernel/src/main.rs
index 7f472954..a953f2e9 100644
--- a/example-kernel/src/main.rs
+++ b/example-kernel/src/main.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn _start() -> ! {
     // named `_start` by default
 
     let vga_buffer = 0xb8000 as *mut u8;
-    
+
     // print `HELLO` to the screen (see
     // https://os.phil-opp.com/minimal-rust-kernel/#printing-to-screen)
     for (i, &byte) in HELLO.iter().enumerate() {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e8294172..dc0f4bc4 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ mod frame_allocator;
 mod level4_entries;
 mod page_table;
 mod printer;
+#[cfg(feature = "sse")]
+mod sse;
 
 pub struct IdentityMappedAddr(PhysAddr);
 
@@ -142,6 +144,10 @@ fn load_elf(
     // Extract required information from the ELF file.
     let mut preallocated_space = alloc_stack!([ProgramHeader64; 32]);
     let mut segments = FixedVec::new(&mut preallocated_space);
+    #[cfg(feature = "sse")]
+    {
+        sse::enable_sse();
+    }
     let entry_point;
     {
         let kernel_start_ptr = usize_from(kernel_start.as_u64()) as *const u8;
diff --git a/src/sse.rs b/src/sse.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..86d12bdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sse.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/// Enables Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) support for loaded kernels.
+#[cfg(feature = "sse")]
+pub fn enable_sse() {
+    use bit_field::BitField;
+    use x86_64::registers::control::Cr0;
+    let mut flags = Cr0::read_raw();
+    flags.set_bit(2, false);
+    flags.set_bit(1, true);
+    flags.set_bit(9, true);
+    flags.set_bit(10, true);
+    unsafe {
+        Cr0::write_raw(flags);
+    }
+    // For now, we must use inline ASM here
+    let mut cr4: u64;
+    unsafe {
+        asm!("mov %cr4, $0" : "=r" (cr4));
+    }
+    cr4.set_bit(9, true);
+    cr4.set_bit(10, true);
+    unsafe {
+        asm!("mov $0, %cr4" :: "r" (cr4) : "memory");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/stage_2.s b/src/stage_2.s
index 5486439a..9e8d0df6 100644
--- a/src/stage_2.s
+++ b/src/stage_2.s
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ enter_protected_mode_again:
     mov eax, cr0
     or al, 1    # set protected mode bit
     mov cr0, eax
-
     push 0x8
     lea eax, [stage_3]
     push eax
diff --git a/test-kernel/Cargo.lock b/test-kernel/Cargo.lock
index e2a6a681..18967535 100644
--- a/test-kernel/Cargo.lock
+++ b/test-kernel/Cargo.lock
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ name = "bitflags"
 version = "1.0.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bootloader"
+version = "0.8.0"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "nodrop"
 version = "0.1.13"
@@ -32,6 +36,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 name = "test-kernel"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "bootloader 0.8.0",
  "x86_64 0.3.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]