diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d432646cb..4c99473a9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -454,7 +454,11 @@ else()
 
   option(NO_AES "Explicitly disable AES support" ${NO_AES})
 
-  if(NOT NO_AES AND NOT ARM AND NOT PPC64LE)
+  if(NO_AES)
+    message(STATUS "AES support explicitly disabled")
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DNO_AES")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DNO_AES")
+  elseif(NOT ARM AND NOT PPC64LE)
     message(STATUS "AES support enabled")
     set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -maes")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -maes")
diff --git a/src/crypto/slow-hash.c b/src/crypto/slow-hash.c
index b92b6e6c3..cc234713b 100644
--- a/src/crypto/slow-hash.c
+++ b/src/crypto/slow-hash.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 extern int aesb_single_round(const uint8_t *in, uint8_t*out, const uint8_t *expandedKey);
 extern int aesb_pseudo_round(const uint8_t *in, uint8_t *out, const uint8_t *expandedKey);
 
-#if defined(__x86_64__) || (defined(_MSC_VER) && defined(_WIN64))
+#if !defined NO_AES && (defined(__x86_64__) || (defined(_MSC_VER) && defined(_WIN64)))
 // Optimised code below, uses x86-specific intrinsics, SSE2, AES-NI
 // Fall back to more portable code is down at the bottom
 
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ void cn_slow_hash(const void *data, size_t length, char *hash)
     extra_hashes[state.hs.b[0] & 3](&state, 200, hash);
 }
 
-#elif defined(__arm__) || defined(__aarch64__)
+#elif !defined NO_AES && (defined(__arm__) || defined(__aarch64__))
 void slow_hash_allocate_state(void)
 {
   // Do nothing, this is just to maintain compatibility with the upgraded slow-hash.c