diff --git a/faiss/python/loader.py b/faiss/python/loader.py
index ac01662305..49601edffa 100644
--- a/faiss/python/loader.py
+++ b/faiss/python/loader.py
@@ -3,30 +3,51 @@
 # This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
 # LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
 
+from distutils.version import LooseVersion
 import platform
 import subprocess
 import logging
 
 
-def instruction_set():
+def supported_instruction_sets():
+    """
+    Returns the set of supported CPU features, see
+    https://github.com/numpy/numpy/blob/master/numpy/core/src/common/npy_cpu_features.h
+    for the list of features that this set may contain per architecture.
+
+    Example:
+    >>> supported_instruction_sets()  # for x86
+    {"SSE2", "AVX2", ...}
+    >>> supported_instruction_sets()  # for PPC
+    {"VSX", "VSX2", ...}
+    >>> supported_instruction_sets()  # for ARM
+    {"NEON", "ASIMD", ...}
+    """
+    import numpy
+    if LooseVersion(numpy.__version__) >= "1.19":
+        # use private API as next-best thing until numpy/numpy#18058 is solved
+        from numpy.core._multiarray_umath import __cpu_features__
+        # __cpu_features__ is a dictionary with CPU features
+        # as keys, and True / False as values
+        supported = {k for k, v in __cpu_features__.items() if v}
+        return supported
+
+    # platform-dependent legacy fallback before numpy 1.19, no windows
     if platform.system() == "Darwin":
         if subprocess.check_output(["/usr/sbin/sysctl", "hw.optional.avx2_0"])[-1] == '1':
-            return "AVX2"
-        else:
-            return "default"
+            return {"AVX2"}
     elif platform.system() == "Linux":
         import numpy.distutils.cpuinfo
         if "avx2" in numpy.distutils.cpuinfo.cpu.info[0].get('flags', ""):
-            return "AVX2"
-        else:
-            return "default"
+            return {"AVX2"}
+    return set()
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 try:
-    instr_set = instruction_set()
-    if instr_set == "AVX2":
+    has_AVX2 = "AVX2" in supported_instruction_sets()
+    if has_AVX2:
         logger.info("Loading faiss with AVX2 support.")
         from .swigfaiss_avx2 import *
     else: