diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
index 665215822af..62421a648e1 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ let
         ${optionalString (isNix20 && !cfg.distributedBuilds) ''
           builders =
         ''}
+        system-features = ${toString cfg.systemFeatures}
         $extraOptions
         END
       '' + optionalString cfg.checkConfig (
@@ -360,6 +361,15 @@ in
         '';
       };
 
+      systemFeatures = mkOption {
+        type = types.listOf types.str;
+        default = [ ];
+        example = [ "kvm" "big-parallel" "gccarch-skylake" ];
+        description = ''
+          The supported features of a machine
+        '';
+      };
+
       checkConfig = mkOption {
         type = types.bool;
         default = true;
@@ -478,6 +488,21 @@ in
           /nix/var/nix/gcroots/tmp
       '';
 
+    nix.systemFeatures = mkIf (pkgs.stdenv.isx86_64 && pkgs.hostPlatform.platform ? gcc.arch) (
+       # can build for arch
+      mkDefault (
+        [ "nixos-test" "benchmark" "big-parallel" "kvm" "gccarch-${pkgs.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch}" ] ++
+        { # can also run code for the following achritectures:
+          "sandybridge"    = [ "gccarch-westmere" ];
+          "ivybridge"      = [ "gccarch-westmere" "gccarch-sandybridge" ];
+          "haswell"        = [ "gccarch-westmere" "gccarch-sandybridge" "gccarch-ivybridge" ];
+          "broadwell"      = [ "gccarch-westmere" "gccarch-sandybridge" "gccarch-ivybridge" "gccarch-haswell" ];
+          "skylake"        = [ "gccarch-westmere" "gccarch-sandybridge" "gccarch-ivybridge" "gccarch-haswell" "gccarch-broadwell" ];
+          "skylake-avx512" = [ "gccarch-westmere" "gccarch-sandybridge" "gccarch-ivybridge" "gccarch-haswell" "gccarch-broadwell" "gccarch-skylake" ];
+        }.${pkgs.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch}
+      )
+    );
+
   };
 
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix
index a7f24fdf1f3..75d780f2333 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/default.nix
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   # For some reason librdf_redland sometimes refers to rasqal.h instead
   # of rasqal/rasqal.h
-  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-I${librdf_rasqal}/include/rasqal" ];
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-I${librdf_rasqal}/include/rasqal" "-mno-fma" ];
 
   patches = [
     ./xdg-open-brief.patch
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/still.nix b/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/still.nix
index 1b7d2b0987f..9e6671838cd 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/still.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/office/libreoffice/still.nix
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   # For some reason librdf_redland sometimes refers to rasqal.h instead
   # of rasqal/rasqal.h
-  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-I${librdf_rasqal}/include/rasqal" ];
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-I${librdf_rasqal}/include/rasqal" "-mno-fma" ];
 
   patches = [
     ./xdg-open-brief.patch
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/science/math/nauty/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/science/math/nauty/default.nix
index 7351de53cfc..226e13c004d 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/science/math/nauty/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/science/math/nauty/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 { stdenv
 , lib
 , fetchurl
-, optimize ? false # impure
 }:
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   name = "nauty-${version}";
@@ -11,13 +10,15 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "05z6mk7c31j70md83396cdjmvzzip1hqb88pfszzc6k4gy8h3m2y";
   };
   outputs = [ "out" "dev" ];
-  configureFlags = lib.optionals (!optimize) [
+  configureFlags = {
     # Prevent nauty from sniffing some cpu features. While those are very
     # widely available, it can lead to nasty bugs when they are not available:
     # https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/sage-packaging/Pe4SRDNYlhA
-    "--disable-popcnt"
-    "--disable-clz"
-  ];
+    "default"        = [ "--disable-clz" "--disable-popcnt" ];
+    "westmere"       = [ "--disable-clz" ];
+    "sandybridge"    = [ "--disable-clz" ];
+    "ivybridge"      = [ "--disable-clz" ];
+  }.${stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default"} or [];
   buildInputs = [];
   installPhase = ''
     mkdir -p "$out"/{bin,share/doc/nauty} "$dev"/{lib,include/nauty}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/julia/shared.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/julia/shared.nix
index ffa5e3ba55d..6706cf1e2bd 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/julia/shared.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/julia/shared.nix
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   makeFlags =
     let
       arch = head (splitString "-" stdenv.system);
-      march = { "x86_64" = "x86-64"; "i686" = "pentium4"; }."${arch}"
+      march = { "x86_64" = stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "x86-64"; "i686" = "pentium4"; }."${arch}"
               or (throw "unsupported architecture: ${arch}");
       # Julia requires Pentium 4 (SSE2) or better
       cpuTarget = { "x86_64" = "x86-64"; "i686" = "pentium4"; }."${arch}"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/crypto++/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/crypto++/default.nix
index cbd3e405415..61a825cd374 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/crypto++/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/crypto++/default.nix
@@ -18,17 +18,11 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   ];
 
 
-  configurePhase = let
-    marchflags =
-      if stdenv.isi686 then "-march=i686" else
-      if stdenv.isx86_64 then "-march=nocona -mtune=generic" else
-      "";
-    in
-    ''
+  configurePhase = ''
       sed -i GNUmakefile \
-        -e 's|-march=native|${marchflags} -fPIC|g' \
+        -e 's|-march=native|-fPIC|g' \
         -e '/^CXXFLAGS =/s|-g ||'
-    '';
+  '';
 
   enableParallelBuilding = true;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/fflas-ffpack/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/fflas-ffpack/default.nix
index 2dd58e64585..a37a11f5cb0 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/fflas-ffpack/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/fflas-ffpack/default.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 { stdenv, fetchFromGitHub, autoreconfHook, givaro, pkgconfig, blas
 , fetchpatch
 , gmpxx
-, optimize ? false # impure
 }:
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   name = "${pname}-${version}";
@@ -40,19 +39,17 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configureFlags = [
     "--with-blas-libs=-l${blas.linkName}"
     "--with-lapack-libs=-l${blas.linkName}"
-  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals (!optimize) [
+  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals stdenv.isx86_64 {
     # disable SIMD instructions (which are enabled *when available* by default)
-    "--disable-sse"
-    "--disable-sse2"
-    "--disable-sse3"
-    "--disable-ssse3"
-    "--disable-sse41"
-    "--disable-sse42"
-    "--disable-avx"
-    "--disable-avx2"
-    "--disable-fma"
-    "--disable-fma4"
-  ];
+    "default"        = [ "--disable-sse3" "--disable-ssse3" "--disable-sse41" "--disable-sse42" "--disable-avx" "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "westmere"       = [                                                                        "--disable-avx" "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "sandybridge"    = [                                                                                        "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "ivybridge"      = [                                                                                        "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "haswell"        = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "broadwell"      = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "skylake"        = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "skylake-avx512" = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+  }.${stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default"};
 
   doCheck = true;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/givaro/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/givaro/default.nix
index 0773daa2d09..bfbce57b0a6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/givaro/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/givaro/default.nix
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchFromGitHub, automake, autoconf, libtool, autoreconfHook, gmpxx
-, optimize ? false # impure
-}:
+{ stdenv, fetchFromGitHub, automake, autoconf, libtool, autoreconfHook, gmpxx }:
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   name = "${pname}-${version}";
   pname = "givaro";
@@ -19,19 +17,17 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   configureFlags = [
     "--disable-optimization"
-  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals (!optimize) [
+  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals stdenv.isx86_64 {
     # disable SIMD instructions (which are enabled *when available* by default)
-    "--disable-sse"
-    "--disable-sse2"
-    "--disable-sse3"
-    "--disable-ssse3"
-    "--disable-sse41"
-    "--disable-sse42"
-    "--disable-avx"
-    "--disable-avx2"
-    "--disable-fma"
-    "--disable-fma4"
-  ];
+    "default"        = [ "--disable-sse3" "--disable-ssse3" "--disable-sse41" "--disable-sse42" "--disable-avx" "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "westmere"       = [                                                                        "--disable-avx" "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "sandybridge"    = [                                                                                        "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "ivybridge"      = [                                                                                        "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "haswell"        = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "broadwell"      = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "skylake"        = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "skylake-avx512" = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+  }.${stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default"};
 
   # On darwin, tests are linked to dylib in the nix store, so we need to make
   # sure tests run after installPhase.
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix
index 9fd3f8a7a99..1867d6cb8f6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/default.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "1395y9hlhqadn5g9j8q22224fds5sd92jxi9czfavjj24myasq04";
   };
 
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-mno-fma" ]; # do not let -march=skylake to enable FMA (https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gsl/2011-11/msg00019.html)
+
   patches = [
     # ToDo: there might be more impurities than FMA support check
     ./disable-fma.patch # https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gsl/2011-11/msg00019.html
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/gsl-1_16.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/gsl-1_16.nix
index 69fe1b0db55..02d88e67cdd 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/gsl-1_16.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/gsl/gsl-1_16.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "0lrgipi0z6559jqh82yx8n4xgnxkhzj46v96dl77hahdp58jzg3k";
   };
 
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = [ "-mno-fma" ]; # do not let -march=skylake to enable FMA (https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gsl/2011-11/msg00019.html)
+
   patches = [
     # ToDo: there might be more impurities than FMA support check
     ./disable-fma.patch # https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gsl/2011-11/msg00019.html
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/linbox/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/linbox/default.nix
index a9a649e2de7..ef2dbb10fba 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/linbox/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/linbox/default.nix
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 , blas
 , fflas-ffpack
 , gmpxx
-, optimize ? false # impure
 , withSage ? false # sage support
 }:
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
@@ -37,19 +36,18 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   configureFlags = [
     "--with-blas-libs=-l${blas.linkName}"
     "--disable-optimization"
-  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals (!optimize) [
+  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals stdenv.isx86_64 {
     # disable SIMD instructions (which are enabled *when available* by default)
-    "--disable-sse"
-    "--disable-sse2"
-    "--disable-sse3"
-    "--disable-ssse3"
-    "--disable-sse41"
-    "--disable-sse42"
-    "--disable-avx"
-    "--disable-avx2"
-    "--disable-fma"
-    "--disable-fma4"
-  ] ++ stdenv.lib.optionals withSage [
+    "default"        = [ "--disable-sse3" "--disable-ssse3" "--disable-sse41" "--disable-sse42" "--disable-avx" "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "westmere"       = [                                                                        "--disable-avx" "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "sandybridge"    = [                                                                                        "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "ivybridge"      = [                                                                                        "--disable-avx2" "--disable-fma" "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "haswell"        = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "broadwell"      = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "skylake"        = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+    "skylake-avx512" = [                                                                                                                         "--disable-fma4" ];
+  }.${stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default"}
+  ++ stdenv.lib.optionals withSage [
     "--enable-sage"
   ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtbase.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtbase.nix
index 92ac8a24201..71d27c33a92 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtbase.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtbase.nix
@@ -266,15 +266,18 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
     ++ (
       if (!stdenv.hostPlatform.isx86_64)
       then [ "-no-sse2" ]
-      else lib.optional (compareVersion "5.9.0" >= 0) [ "-sse2" ]
+      else lib.optionals (compareVersion "5.9.0" >= 0) {
+        "default"        = [ "-sse2" "-no-sse3" "-no-ssse3" "-no-sse4.1" "-no-sse4.2" "-no-avx" "-no-avx2" ];
+        "westmere"       = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2" "-no-avx" "-no-avx2" ];
+        "sandybridge"    = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2"    "-avx" "-no-avx2" ];
+        "ivybridge"      = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2"    "-avx" "-no-avx2" ];
+        "haswell"        = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2"    "-avx"    "-avx2" ];
+        "broadwell"      = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2"    "-avx"    "-avx2" ];
+        "skylake"        = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2"    "-avx"    "-avx2" ];
+        "skylake-avx512" = [ "-sse2"    "-sse3"    "-ssse3"    "-sse4.1"    "-sse4.2"    "-avx"    "-avx2" ];
+      }.${stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default"}
     )
     ++ [
-      "-no-sse3"
-      "-no-ssse3"
-      "-no-sse4.1"
-      "-no-sse4.2"
-      "-no-avx"
-      "-no-avx2"
       "-no-mips_dsp"
       "-no-mips_dspr2"
     ]
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtwebengine.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtwebengine.nix
index 91b7acf4365..af580401887 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtwebengine.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/qt-5/modules/qtwebengine.nix
@@ -103,7 +103,10 @@ EOF
     '');
 
   NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE =
-    lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin [
+  # it fails when compiled with -march=sandybridge https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/59148#discussion_r276696940
+  # TODO: investigate and fix properly
+    lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "" == "sandybridge") [ "-march=westmere" ] ++
+    lib.optionals stdenv.isDarwin [
       "-DMAC_OS_X_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED=MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_10"
       "-DMAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED=MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_10"
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/tensorflow/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/tensorflow/default.nix
index 8163243eb0a..a8f902fdb38 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/tensorflow/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/tensorflow/default.nix
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 , xlaSupport ? cudaSupport
 # Default from ./configure script
 , cudaCapabilities ? [ "3.5" "5.2" ]
-, sse42Support ? false
-, avx2Support ? false
-, fmaSupport ? false
+, sse42Support ? builtins.elem (stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default") ["westmere" "sandybridge" "ivybridge" "haswell" "broadwell" "skylake" "skylake-avx512"]
+, avx2Support  ? builtins.elem (stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default") [                                     "haswell" "broadwell" "skylake" "skylake-avx512"]
+, fmaSupport   ? builtins.elem (stdenv.hostPlatform.platform.gcc.arch or "default") [                                     "haswell" "broadwell" "skylake" "skylake-avx512"]
 }:
 
 assert cudaSupport -> nvidia_x11 != null
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/default.nix
index 309604999ba..48b3a91b971 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/default.nix
@@ -19,10 +19,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     CPPFLAGS = with stdenv; ""
       + (lib.optionalString (!isi686 && !isx86_64) "-DNOJIT ")
       + "-Dunix";
-    CXXFLAGS = with stdenv; ""
-      + (lib.optionalString isi686   "-march=i686   -mtune=generic ")
-      + (lib.optionalString isx86_64 "-march=nocona -mtune=generic ")
-      + "-O3 -DNDEBUG";
+    CXXFLAGS = "-O3 -DNDEBUG";
   in ''
     buildFlagsArray=( "CPPFLAGS=${CPPFLAGS}" "CXXFLAGS=${CXXFLAGS}" )
   '';
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/zpaqd.nix b/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/zpaqd.nix
index 344f0889090..611654331c3 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/zpaqd.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/archivers/zpaq/zpaqd.nix
@@ -11,10 +11,8 @@ let
     sha256="0868lynb45lm79yvx5f10lj5h6bfv0yck8whcls2j080vmk3n7rk";
   };
 
-  compileFlags = stdenv.lib.concatStringsSep " " ([ "-O3" "-mtune=generic" "-DNDEBUG" ]
+  compileFlags = stdenv.lib.concatStringsSep " " ([ "-O3" "-DNDEBUG" ]
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform.isUnix) "-Dunix -pthread"
-    ++ stdenv.lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform.isi686) "-march=i686"
-    ++ stdenv.lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform.isx86_64) "-march=nocona"
     ++ stdenv.lib.optional (!stdenv.hostPlatform.isx86) "-DNOJIT");
 in
 stdenv.mkDerivation {