diff --git a/coreconf/config.gypi b/coreconf/config.gypi
index c07a59ab2e..2a730398bc 100644
--- a/coreconf/config.gypi
+++ b/coreconf/config.gypi
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
     'disable_dbm%': 1,
     'disable_libpkix%': 1,
     'disable_werror%': 0,
+    'disable_altivec%': 0,
     'mozilla_client%': 0,
     'comm_client%': 0,
     'moz_fold_libs%': 0,
diff --git a/coreconf/config.mk b/coreconf/config.mk
index 60a08411e8..704e3fa830 100644
--- a/coreconf/config.mk
+++ b/coreconf/config.mk
@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ DEFINES += -DPKIX_OBJECT_LEAK_TEST
 endif
 endif
 
+# Avoid building with PowerPC's Altivec acceleration
+ifdef NSS_DISABLE_ALTIVEC
+DEFINES += -DNSS_DISABLE_ALTIVEC
+endif
+
 # This allows all library and tools code to use the util function
 # implementations directly from libnssutil3, rather than the wrappers
 # in libnss3 which are present for binary compatibility only
diff --git a/lib/freebl/Makefile b/lib/freebl/Makefile
index eafa0da317..74d131e052 100644
--- a/lib/freebl/Makefile
+++ b/lib/freebl/Makefile
@@ -778,10 +778,12 @@ $(OBJDIR)/$(PROG_PREFIX)gcm-aarch64$(OBJ_SUFFIX): CFLAGS += -march=armv8-a+crypt
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(CPU_ARCH),ppc)
+ifndef NSS_DISABLE_ALTIVEC
 $(OBJDIR)/$(PROG_PREFIX)gcm-ppc$(OBJ_SUFFIX): CFLAGS += -mcrypto -maltivec -mvsx
 $(OBJDIR)/$(PROG_PREFIX)gcm$(OBJ_SUFFIX): CFLAGS += -mcrypto -maltivec -mvsx
 $(OBJDIR)/$(PROG_PREFIX)rijndael$(OBJ_SUFFIX): CFLAGS += -mcrypto -maltivec -mvsx
 endif
+endif
 
 $(OBJDIR)/$(PROG_PREFIX)Hacl_Chacha20_Vec128$(OBJ_SUFFIX): CFLAGS += -mssse3 -msse4 -mavx -maes 
 $(OBJDIR)/$(PROG_PREFIX)Hacl_Chacha20Poly1305_128$(OBJ_SUFFIX): CFLAGS += -mssse3 -msse4 -mavx -maes 
diff --git a/lib/freebl/freebl.gyp b/lib/freebl/freebl.gyp
index d01531ad19..73eb842024 100644
--- a/lib/freebl/freebl.gyp
+++ b/lib/freebl/freebl.gyp
@@ -274,11 +274,16 @@
             'gcm-aes-aarch64_c_lib',
           ],
         }],
-        [ 'target_arch=="ppc64le"', {
+        [ 'disable_altivec==0 and (target_arch=="ppc64" or target_arch=="ppc64le")', {
           'dependencies': [
             'gcm-aes-ppc_c_lib',
           ],
         }],
+        [ 'disable_altivec==1 and (target_arch=="ppc64" or target_arch=="ppc64le")', {
+          'defines!': [
+            'NSS_DISABLE_ALTIVEC',
+          ],
+        }],
         [ 'OS=="linux"', {
           'defines!': [
             'FREEBL_NO_DEPEND',
@@ -330,11 +335,16 @@
             'gcm-aes-aarch64_c_lib',
           ],
         }],
-        [ 'target_arch=="ppc64" or target_arch=="ppc64le"', {
+        [ 'disable_altivec==0 and (target_arch=="ppc64" or target_arch=="ppc64le")', {
           'dependencies': [
             'gcm-aes-ppc_c_lib',
           ],
         }],
+        [ 'disable_altivec==1 and (target_arch=="ppc64" or target_arch=="ppc64le")', {
+          'defines!': [
+            'NSS_DISABLE_ALTIVEC',
+          ],
+        }],
         [ 'OS!="linux"', {
           'conditions': [
             [ 'moz_fold_libs==0', {
diff --git a/lib/freebl/gcm.h b/lib/freebl/gcm.h
index aa4dee8241..b2c30a7315 100644
--- a/lib/freebl/gcm.h
+++ b/lib/freebl/gcm.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #include <arm_neon.h>
 #endif
 
-#ifdef __powerpc64__
+#if defined(__powerpc64__) && !defined(NSS_DISABLE_ALTIVEC)
 #include "altivec-types.h"
 
 /* The ghash freebl test tries to use this in C++, and gcc defines conflict. */