diff --git a/src/c/util/math/popcount.c b/src/c/util/math/popcount.c
index e371274c..c0f691bb 100644
--- a/src/c/util/math/popcount.c
+++ b/src/c/util/math/popcount.c
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#if !defined(BUILTIN) && (defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__clang__))
+#define USE_BUILTIN
+#endif
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     ssize_t nread, i;
     size_t popcount;
     char buf[PIPE_BUF];
-#if defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__clang__)
+#ifndef USE_BUILTIN
     unsigned int c;
 #else
     char c;
@@ -18,7 +22,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     while ((nread = read(STDIN_FILENO, buf, PIPE_BUF)) > 0) {
         for (i = 0; i < nread; i++) {
             c = buf[i];
-#if defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__clang__)
+#ifndef USE_BUILTIN
             popcount += __builtin_popcount(c & 0xff);
 #else
             popcount += c & 0x01 + c & 0x02 + c & 0x04 + c & 0x08 + c & 0x10 + c & 0x20 + c &