diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/Makefile b/drivers/net/virtio/Makefile
index 43de46c..114d40e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/Makefile
@@ -50,10 +50,7 @@ SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD) += virtqueue.c
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD) += virtio_pci.c
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD) += virtio_rxtx.c
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD) += virtio_ethdev.c
-
-ifeq ($(findstring RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3,$(CFLAGS)),RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3)
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD) += virtio_rxtx_simple.c
-endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_RTE_VIRTIO_USER),y)
 SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD) += virtio_user/vhost_user.c
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
index dd7693f..b8295a7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_pci.h
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ struct virtio_hw {
 	uint8_t	    use_msix;
 	uint8_t     started;
 	uint8_t     modern;
+	uint8_t     use_simple_rxtx;
 	uint8_t     mac_addr[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];
 	uint32_t    notify_off_multiplier;
 	uint8_t     *isr;
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
index a27208e..63b53f7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.c
@@ -67,10 +67,6 @@
 #define VIRTIO_SIMPLE_FLAGS ((uint32_t)ETH_TXQ_FLAGS_NOMULTSEGS | \
 	ETH_TXQ_FLAGS_NOOFFLOADS)
 
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
-static int use_simple_rxtx;
-#endif
-
 static void
 vq_ring_free_chain(struct virtqueue *vq, uint16_t desc_idx)
 {
@@ -333,6 +329,7 @@ virtio_dev_rxtx_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 	 */
 	uint16_t i;
 	uint16_t desc_idx;
+	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
 
 	PMD_INIT_FUNC_TRACE();
 
@@ -353,8 +350,7 @@ virtio_dev_rxtx_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 		nbufs = 0;
 		error = ENOSPC;
 
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
-		if (use_simple_rxtx) {
+		if (hw->use_simple_rxtx) {
 			for (desc_idx = 0; desc_idx < vq->vq_nentries;
 			     desc_idx++) {
 				vq->vq_ring.avail->ring[desc_idx] = desc_idx;
@@ -362,7 +358,7 @@ virtio_dev_rxtx_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 					VRING_DESC_F_WRITE;
 			}
 		}
-#endif
+
 		memset(&rxvq->fake_mbuf, 0, sizeof(rxvq->fake_mbuf));
 		for (desc_idx = 0; desc_idx < RTE_PMD_VIRTIO_RX_MAX_BURST;
 		     desc_idx++) {
@@ -378,12 +374,11 @@ virtio_dev_rxtx_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 			/******************************************
 			*         Enqueue allocated buffers        *
 			*******************************************/
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
-			if (use_simple_rxtx)
+			if (hw->use_simple_rxtx)
 				error = virtqueue_enqueue_recv_refill_simple(vq, m);
 			else
-#endif
 				error = virtqueue_enqueue_recv_refill(vq, m);
+
 			if (error) {
 				rte_pktmbuf_free(m);
 				break;
@@ -404,8 +399,7 @@ virtio_dev_rxtx_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 		struct virtqueue *vq = txvq->vq;
 
 		virtio_dev_vring_start(vq);
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
-		if (use_simple_rxtx) {
+		if (hw->use_simple_rxtx) {
 			uint16_t mid_idx  = vq->vq_nentries >> 1;
 
 			for (desc_idx = 0; desc_idx < mid_idx; desc_idx++) {
@@ -426,7 +420,7 @@ virtio_dev_rxtx_start(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 			     desc_idx++)
 				vq->vq_ring.avail->ring[desc_idx] = desc_idx;
 		}
-#endif
+
 		VIRTQUEUE_DUMP(vq);
 	}
 }
@@ -456,9 +450,7 @@ virtio_dev_rx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 
 	dev->data->rx_queues[queue_idx] = rxvq;
 
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
 	virtio_rxq_vec_setup(rxvq);
-#endif
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -494,9 +486,6 @@ virtio_dev_tx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 {
 	uint8_t vtpci_queue_idx = 2 * queue_idx + VTNET_SQ_TQ_QUEUE_IDX;
 
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
-	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
-#endif
 	struct virtnet_tx *txvq;
 	struct virtqueue *vq;
 	uint16_t tx_free_thresh;
@@ -511,13 +500,14 @@ virtio_dev_tx_queue_setup(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	}
 
 #ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
+	struct virtio_hw *hw = dev->data->dev_private;
 	/* Use simple rx/tx func if single segment and no offloads */
 	if ((tx_conf->txq_flags & VIRTIO_SIMPLE_FLAGS) == VIRTIO_SIMPLE_FLAGS &&
 	     !vtpci_with_feature(hw, VIRTIO_NET_F_MRG_RXBUF)) {
 		PMD_INIT_LOG(INFO, "Using simple rx/tx path");
 		dev->tx_pkt_burst = virtio_xmit_pkts_simple;
 		dev->rx_pkt_burst = virtio_recv_pkts_vec;
-		use_simple_rxtx = 1;
+		hw->use_simple_rxtx = 1;
 	}
 #endif
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.h b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.h
index 058b56a..28f82d6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx.h
@@ -86,10 +86,9 @@ struct virtnet_ctl {
 	const struct rte_memzone *mz;   /**< mem zone to populate RX ring. */
 };
 
-#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
 int virtio_rxq_vec_setup(struct virtnet_rx *rxvq);
 
 int virtqueue_enqueue_recv_refill_simple(struct virtqueue *vq,
 	struct rte_mbuf *m);
-#endif
+
 #endif /* _VIRTIO_RXTX_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx_simple.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx_simple.c
index 242ad90..67430da 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx_simple.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_rxtx_simple.c
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
-#include <tmmintrin.h>
-
 #include <rte_cycles.h>
 #include <rte_memory.h>
 #include <rte_memzone.h>
@@ -131,6 +129,10 @@ virtio_rxq_rearm_vec(struct virtnet_rx *rxvq)
 	vq_update_avail_idx(vq);
 }
 
+#ifdef RTE_MACHINE_CPUFLAG_SSSE3
+
+#include <tmmintrin.h>
+
 /* virtio vPMD receive routine, only accept(nb_pkts >= RTE_VIRTIO_DESC_PER_LOOP)
  *
  * This routine is for non-mergeable RX, one desc for each guest buffer.
@@ -293,6 +295,8 @@ virtio_recv_pkts_vec(void *rx_queue, struct rte_mbuf **rx_pkts,
 	return nb_pkts_received;
 }
 
+#endif
+
 #define VIRTIO_TX_FREE_THRESH 32
 #define VIRTIO_TX_MAX_FREE_BUF_SZ 32
 #define VIRTIO_TX_FREE_NR 32
diff --git a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
index 9216182..ce6ce91 100644
--- a/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/virtio/virtio_user_ethdev.c
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ virtio_user_eth_dev_alloc(const char *name)
 	hw->vtpci_ops = &virtio_user_ops;
 	hw->use_msix = 0;
 	hw->modern   = 0;
+	hw->use_simple_rxtx = 0;
 	hw->virtio_user_dev = dev;
 	data->dev_private = hw;
 	data->numa_node = SOCKET_ID_ANY;
