diff --git a/lib/codec_choose.c b/lib/codec_choose.c
index bd4f6ad6..27901175 100644
--- a/lib/codec_choose.c
+++ b/lib/codec_choose.c
@@ -1,15 +1,48 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#if __x86_64__ || __i386__ || _M_X86 || _M_X64
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+	#include <intrin.h>
+	#define __cpuid_count(__level, __count, __eax, __ebx, __ecx, __edx) \
+	{\
+		int info[4];\
+		__cpuidex(info, __level, __count);\
+		__eax = info[0];\
+		__ebx = info[1];\
+		__ecx = info[2];\
+		__edx = info[3];\
+	}
+	#define __cpuid(__level, __eax, __ebx, __ecx, __edx) __cpuid_count(__level, 0, __eax, __ebx, __ecx, __edx)
+#else
+	#include <cpuid.h>
+	#if ((__GNUC__ > 4 || __GNUC__ == 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 2) || (__clang_major__ >= 3))
+		static inline uint64_t _xgetbv(unsigned int index){
+			unsigned int eax, edx;
+			__asm__ __volatile__("xgetbv" : "=a"(eax), "=d"(edx) : "c"(index));
+			return ((uint64_t)edx << 32) | eax;
+		}
+	#else
+		#error "Platform not supported"
+	#endif
+#endif
 
-#if __x86_64__ || __i386__
-#include <cpuid.h>
 #ifndef bit_AVX2
 #define bit_AVX2 (1 << 5)
 #endif
 #ifndef bit_SSSE3
 #define bit_SSSE3 (1 << 9)
 #endif
+
+#define bit_XSAVE_XRSTORE (1 << 27)
+
+#ifndef _XCR_XFEATURE_ENABLED_MASK
+#define _XCR_XFEATURE_ENABLED_MASK 0
+#endif
+
+#define _XCR_XMM_AND_YMM_STATE_ENABLED_BY_OS 0x6
 #endif
 
 #include "../include/libbase64.h"
@@ -92,19 +125,42 @@ codec_choose_arm (struct codec *codec)
 static bool
 codec_choose_x86 (struct codec *codec)
 {
-#if (__x86_64__ || __i386__) && (HAVE_AVX2 || HAVE_SSSE3)
+#if (__x86_64__ || __i386__ || _M_X86 || _M_X64) && (HAVE_AVX2 || HAVE_SSSE3)
 
 	unsigned int eax, ebx = 0, ecx = 0, edx;
-	unsigned int max_level = __get_cpuid_max(0, NULL);
+	unsigned int max_level;
+
+	#ifdef _MSC_VER 
+	int info[4];
+	__cpuidex(info, 0, 0);
+	max_level = info[0];
+	#else
+	max_level = __get_cpuid_max(0, NULL);
+	#endif
 
 	#if HAVE_AVX2
-	/* Check for AVX2 support: */
+	/* Check for AVX2 support: 
+	 Checking for AVX requires 3 things:
+	 1) CPUID indicates that the OS uses XSAVE and XRSTORE
+	     instructions (allowing saving YMM registers on context
+	     switch)
+	 2) CPUID indicates support for AVX
+	 3) XGETBV indicates the AVX registers will be saved and
+	     restored on context switch
+	
+	 Note that XGETBV is only available on 686 or later CPUs, so
+	 the instruction needs to be conditionally run.*/
 	if (max_level >= 7) {
 		__cpuid_count(7, 0, eax, ebx, ecx, edx);
-		if (ebx & bit_AVX2) {
-			codec->enc = base64_stream_encode_avx2;
-			codec->dec = base64_stream_decode_avx2;
-			return true;
+
+		if ((ebx & bit_AVX2) && (ecx & bit_XSAVE_XRSTORE)) {
+			uint64_t xcr_mask;
+			xcr_mask = _xgetbv(_XCR_XFEATURE_ENABLED_MASK);
+			if (xcr_mask & _XCR_XMM_AND_YMM_STATE_ENABLED_BY_OS) {
+				codec->enc = base64_stream_encode_avx2;
+				codec->dec = base64_stream_decode_avx2;
+				return true;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	#endif