diff --git a/src/avx512-64bit-argsort.hpp b/src/avx512-64bit-argsort.hpp
index c6499a6c..000f822c 100644
--- a/src/avx512-64bit-argsort.hpp
+++ b/src/avx512-64bit-argsort.hpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_32_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
     zmm_t arrzmm[4];
     argzmm_t argzmm[4];
 
-#pragma GCC unroll 2
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(2)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 2; ++ii) {
         argzmm[ii] = argtype::loadu(arg + 8 * ii);
         arrzmm[ii] = vtype::template i64gather<sizeof(type_t)>(argzmm[ii], arr);
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_32_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
 
     uint64_t combined_mask = (0x1ull << (N - 16)) - 0x1ull;
     opmask_t load_mask[2] = {0xFF, 0xFF};
-#pragma GCC unroll 2
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(2)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 2; ++ii) {
         load_mask[ii] = (combined_mask >> (ii * 8)) & 0xFF;
         argzmm[ii + 2] = argtype::maskz_loadu(load_mask[ii], arg + 16 + 8 * ii);
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
     zmm_t arrzmm[8];
     argzmm_t argzmm[8];
 
-#pragma GCC unroll 4
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(4)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 4; ++ii) {
         argzmm[ii] = argtype::loadu(arg + 8 * ii);
         arrzmm[ii] = vtype::template i64gather<sizeof(type_t)>(argzmm[ii], arr);
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
 
     opmask_t load_mask[4] = {0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF};
     uint64_t combined_mask = (0x1ull << (N - 32)) - 0x1ull;
-#pragma GCC unroll 4
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(4)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 4; ++ii) {
         load_mask[ii] = (combined_mask >> (ii * 8)) & 0xFF;
         argzmm[ii + 4] = argtype::maskz_loadu(load_mask[ii], arg + 32 + 8 * ii);
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
                                                         argzmm[ii + 4]);
     }
 
-#pragma GCC unroll 4
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(4)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 8; ii = ii + 2) {
         bitonic_merge_two_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(
                 arrzmm[ii], arrzmm[ii + 1], argzmm[ii], argzmm[ii + 1]);
@@ -179,11 +179,11 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
     bitonic_merge_four_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(arrzmm + 4, argzmm + 4);
     bitonic_merge_eight_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(arrzmm, argzmm);
 
-#pragma GCC unroll 4
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(4)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 4; ++ii) {
         argtype::storeu(arg + 8 * ii, argzmm[ii]);
     }
-#pragma GCC unroll 4
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(4)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < 4; ++ii) {
         argtype::mask_storeu(arg + 32 + 8 * ii, load_mask[ii], argzmm[ii + 4]);
     }
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
 //    zmm_t arrzmm[16];
 //    argzmm_t argzmm[16];
 //
-//#pragma GCC unroll 8
+//#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
 //    for (int ii = 0; ii < 8; ++ii) {
 //        argzmm[ii] = argtype::loadu(arg + 8*ii);
 //        arrzmm[ii] = vtype::template i64gather<sizeof(type_t)>(argzmm[ii], arr);
@@ -213,19 +213,19 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
 //    opmask_t load_mask[8] = {0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF};
 //    if (N != 128) {
 //    uint64_t combined_mask = (0x1ull << (N - 64)) - 0x1ull;
-//#pragma GCC unroll 8
+//#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
 //        for (int ii = 0; ii < 8; ++ii) {
 //            load_mask[ii] = (combined_mask >> (ii*8)) & 0xFF;
 //        }
 //    }
-//#pragma GCC unroll 8
+//#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
 //    for (int ii = 0; ii < 8; ++ii) {
 //        argzmm[ii+8] = argtype::maskz_loadu(load_mask[ii], arg + 64 + 8*ii);
 //        arrzmm[ii+8] = vtype::template mask_i64gather<sizeof(type_t)>(vtype::zmm_max(), load_mask[ii], argzmm[ii+8], arr);
 //        arrzmm[ii+8] = sort_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(arrzmm[ii+8], argzmm[ii+8]);
 //    }
 //
-//#pragma GCC unroll 8
+//#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
 //    for (int ii = 0; ii < 16; ii = ii + 2) {
 //        bitonic_merge_two_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(arrzmm[ii], arrzmm[ii + 1], argzmm[ii], argzmm[ii + 1]);
 //    }
@@ -237,11 +237,11 @@ X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE void argsort_64_64bit(type_t *arr, int64_t *arg, int32_t N)
 //    bitonic_merge_eight_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(arrzmm+8, argzmm+8);
 //    bitonic_merge_sixteen_zmm_64bit<vtype, argtype>(arrzmm, argzmm);
 //
-//#pragma GCC unroll 8
+//#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
 //    for (int ii = 0; ii < 8; ++ii) {
 //        argtype::storeu(arg + 8*ii, argzmm[ii]);
 //    }
-//#pragma GCC unroll 8
+//#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
 //    for (int ii = 0; ii < 8; ++ii) {
 //        argtype::mask_storeu(arg + 64 + 8*ii, load_mask[ii], argzmm[ii + 8]);
 //    }
diff --git a/src/avx512-common-argsort.h b/src/avx512-common-argsort.h
index e829ab62..7a36c0ef 100644
--- a/src/avx512-common-argsort.h
+++ b/src/avx512-common-argsort.h
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
     // first and last vtype::numlanes values are partitioned at the end
     zmm_t vec_left[num_unroll], vec_right[num_unroll];
     argzmm_t argvec_left[num_unroll], argvec_right[num_unroll];
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
         argvec_left[ii] = argtype::loadu(arg + left + vtype::numlanes * ii);
         vec_left[ii] = vtype::template i64gather<sizeof(type_t)>(
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
          */
         if ((r_store + vtype::numlanes) - right < left - l_store) {
             right -= num_unroll * vtype::numlanes;
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
             for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
                 arg_vec[ii]
                         = argtype::loadu(arg + right + ii * vtype::numlanes);
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
             }
         }
         else {
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
             for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
                 arg_vec[ii] = argtype::loadu(arg + left + ii * vtype::numlanes);
                 curr_vec[ii] = vtype::template i64gather<sizeof(type_t)>(
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
             left += num_unroll * vtype::numlanes;
         }
         // partition the current vector and save it on both sides of the array
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
         for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
             int32_t amount_gt_pivot
                     = partition_vec<vtype>(arg,
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
     }
 
     /* partition and save vec_left and vec_right */
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
         int32_t amount_gt_pivot
                 = partition_vec<vtype>(arg,
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
         l_store += (vtype::numlanes - amount_gt_pivot);
         r_store -= amount_gt_pivot;
     }
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
         int32_t amount_gt_pivot
                 = partition_vec<vtype>(arg,
diff --git a/src/avx512-common-qsort.h b/src/avx512-common-qsort.h
index 6e5cd15e..8cd75d70 100644
--- a/src/avx512-common-qsort.h
+++ b/src/avx512-common-qsort.h
@@ -67,9 +67,12 @@
 #define ZMM_MAX_INT16 _mm512_set1_epi16(X86_SIMD_SORT_MAX_INT16)
 #define SHUFFLE_MASK(a, b, c, d) (a << 6) | (b << 4) | (c << 2) | d
 
+/* Compiler specific macros specific */
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 #define X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE static inline
 #define X86_SIMD_SORT_FINLINE static __forceinline
+#define LIKELY(x)
+#define UNLIKELY(x)
 #elif defined(__CYGWIN__)
 /*
  * Force inline in cygwin to work around a compiler bug. See
@@ -80,13 +83,21 @@
 #elif defined(__GNUC__)
 #define X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE static inline
 #define X86_SIMD_SORT_FINLINE static __attribute__((always_inline))
+#define LIKELY(x) __builtin_expect((x), 1)
+#define UNLIKELY(x) __builtin_expect((x), 0)
 #else
 #define X86_SIMD_SORT_INLINE static
 #define X86_SIMD_SORT_FINLINE static
+#define LIKELY(x)
+#define UNLIKELY(x)
 #endif
 
-#define LIKELY(x) __builtin_expect((x), 1)
-#define UNLIKELY(x) __builtin_expect((x), 0)
+#if __GNUC__ >= 8
+#define X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(num)\
+GCC unroll num
+#else
+#define X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(num)
+#endif
 
 template <typename type>
 struct zmm_vector;
@@ -382,7 +393,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
     // We will now have atleast 16 registers worth of data to process:
     // left and right vtype::numlanes values are partitioned at the end
     zmm_t vec_left[num_unroll], vec_right[num_unroll];
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
         vec_left[ii] = vtype::loadu(arr + left + vtype::numlanes * ii);
         vec_right[ii] = vtype::loadu(
@@ -403,20 +414,20 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
          */
         if ((r_store + vtype::numlanes) - right < left - l_store) {
             right -= num_unroll * vtype::numlanes;
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
             for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
                 curr_vec[ii] = vtype::loadu(arr + right + ii * vtype::numlanes);
             }
         }
         else {
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
             for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
                 curr_vec[ii] = vtype::loadu(arr + left + ii * vtype::numlanes);
             }
             left += num_unroll * vtype::numlanes;
         }
 // partition the current vector and save it on both sides of the array
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
         for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
             int32_t amount_ge_pivot
                     = partition_vec<vtype>(arr,
@@ -432,7 +443,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
     }
 
 /* partition and save vec_left[8] and vec_right[8] */
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
         int32_t amount_ge_pivot
                 = partition_vec<vtype>(arr,
@@ -445,7 +456,7 @@ static inline int64_t partition_avx512_unrolled(type_t *arr,
         l_store += (vtype::numlanes - amount_ge_pivot);
         r_store -= amount_ge_pivot;
     }
-#pragma GCC unroll 8
+#pragma X86_SIMD_SORT_UNROLL_LOOP(8)
     for (int ii = 0; ii < num_unroll; ++ii) {
         int32_t amount_ge_pivot
                 = partition_vec<vtype>(arr,