diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-qt.yml b/.github/workflows/build-qt.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 9320054e..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/build-qt.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-name: Build on Ubuntu
-
-on: [push, pull_request]
-
-jobs:
-  build:
-    name: With QT GUI
-    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-    - name: install packages
-      run: |
-        sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mhier/libboost-latest
-        sudo apt-get update
-        sudo apt-get install build-essential qt5-default libqt5gui5 libboost1.74-dev libminiupnpc-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev
-    - name: build application
-      run: |
-        cd qt/i2pd_qt
-        qmake I2PDMAKE+="USE_AESNI=no"
-        make -j3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 8fa752ff..a3031678 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ name: Build on Ubuntu
 
 on: [push, pull_request]
 
+defaults:
+  runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
+
 jobs:
   build:
     name: With USE_UPNP=${{ matrix.with_upnp }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-16.04
     strategy:
       fail-fast: true
       matrix:
@@ -18,4 +20,19 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt-get update
         sudo apt-get install build-essential libboost1.74-dev libminiupnpc-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev
     - name: build application
-      run: make USE_AESNI=no USE_UPNP=${{ matrix.with_upnp }} -j3
+      run: make USE_UPNP=${{ matrix.with_upnp }} -j3
+
+  build_qt:
+    name: With QT GUI
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - name: install packages
+      run: |
+        sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mhier/libboost-latest
+        sudo apt-get update
+        sudo apt-get install build-essential qt5-default libqt5gui5 libboost1.74-dev libminiupnpc-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev
+    - name: build application
+      run: |
+        cd qt/i2pd_qt
+        qmake
+        make -j3
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/contrib/i2pd.conf b/contrib/i2pd.conf
index 2174abe8..5ef39bc9 100644
--- a/contrib/i2pd.conf
+++ b/contrib/i2pd.conf
@@ -229,3 +229,12 @@ verify = true
 [persist]
 ## Save peer profiles on disk (default: true)
 # profiles = true
+
+[cpuext]
+## Use CPU AES-NI instructions set when work with cryptography when available (default: true)
+# aesni = true
+## Use CPU AVX instructions set when work with cryptography when available (default: true)
+# avx = true
+## Force usage of CPU instructions set, even if they not found
+## DO NOT TOUCH that option if you really don't know what are you doing!
+# force = false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/daemon/Daemon.cpp b/daemon/Daemon.cpp
index 9988b1fd..839495a5 100644
--- a/daemon/Daemon.cpp
+++ b/daemon/Daemon.cpp
@@ -128,9 +128,10 @@ namespace i2p
 			LogPrint(eLogDebug, "FS: data directory: ", datadir);
 
 			bool precomputation; i2p::config::GetOption("precomputation.elgamal", precomputation);
-			bool aesni; i2p::config::GetOption("aesni", aesni);
-			bool avx; i2p::config::GetOption("avx", avx);
-			i2p::crypto::InitCrypto (precomputation, aesni, avx);
+			bool aesni; i2p::config::GetOption("cpuext.aesni", aesni);
+			bool avx; i2p::config::GetOption("cpuext.avx", avx);
+			bool forceCpuExt; i2p::config::GetOption("cpuext.force", forceCpuExt);
+			i2p::crypto::InitCrypto (precomputation, aesni, avx, forceCpuExt);
 
 			int netID; i2p::config::GetOption("netid", netID);
 			i2p::context.SetNetID (netID);
diff --git a/libi2pd/CPU.cpp b/libi2pd/CPU.cpp
index d7d7729c..0bd830e3 100644
--- a/libi2pd/CPU.cpp
+++ b/libi2pd/CPU.cpp
@@ -27,17 +27,17 @@ namespace cpu
 	bool aesni = false;
 	bool avx = false;
 
-	void Detect(bool AesSwitch, bool AvxSwitch)
+	void Detect(bool AesSwitch, bool AvxSwitch, bool force)
 	{
 #if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__i386__)
 		int info[4];
 		__cpuid(0, info[0], info[1], info[2], info[3]);
 		if (info[0] >= 0x00000001) {
 			__cpuid(0x00000001, info[0], info[1], info[2], info[3]);
-			if (info[2] & bit_AES && AesSwitch) {
+			if ((info[2] & bit_AES && AesSwitch) || (AesSwitch && force)) {
 				aesni = true;
 			}
-			if (info[2] & bit_AVX && AvxSwitch) {
+			if ((info[2] & bit_AVX && AvxSwitch) || (AvxSwitch && force)) {
 				avx = true;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/libi2pd/CPU.h b/libi2pd/CPU.h
index 5d712e14..f021bccb 100644
--- a/libi2pd/CPU.h
+++ b/libi2pd/CPU.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ namespace cpu
 	extern bool aesni;
 	extern bool avx;
 
-	void Detect(bool AesSwitch, bool AvxSwitch);
+	void Detect(bool AesSwitch, bool AvxSwitch, bool force);
 }
 }
 
diff --git a/libi2pd/Config.cpp b/libi2pd/Config.cpp
index 187373f1..d99fdde1 100644
--- a/libi2pd/Config.cpp
+++ b/libi2pd/Config.cpp
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ namespace config {
 			("ntcp", bool_switch()->default_value(false),                     "Ignored. Always false")
 			("ssu", bool_switch()->default_value(true),                       "Enable SSU transport (default: enabled)")
 			("ntcpproxy", value<std::string>()->default_value(""),            "Ignored")
-			("aesni", bool_switch()->default_value(true),                     "Use auto detection for AESNI CPU extensions. If false, AESNI will be not used")
-			("avx", bool_switch()->default_value(true),                       "Use auto detection for AVX CPU extensions. If false, AVX will be not used")
 #ifdef _WIN32
 			("svcctl", value<std::string>()->default_value(""),               "Windows service management ('install' or 'remove')")
 			("insomnia", bool_switch()->default_value(false),                 "Prevent system from sleeping (default: disabled)")
@@ -268,6 +266,13 @@ namespace config {
 			("persist.addressbook", value<bool>()->default_value(true),    "Persist full addresses (default: true)")
 		;
 
+		options_description cpuext("CPU encryption extensions options");
+		cpuext.add_options()
+			("cpuext.aesni", bool_switch()->default_value(true),                     "Use auto detection for AESNI CPU extensions. If false, AESNI will be not used")
+			("cpuext.avx", bool_switch()->default_value(true),                       "Use auto detection for AVX CPU extensions. If false, AVX will be not used")
+			("cpuext.force", bool_switch()->default_value(false),                    "Force usage of CPU extensions. Useful when cpuinfo is not available on virtual machines")
+		;
+
 		m_OptionsDesc
 			.add(general)
 			.add(limits)
@@ -288,6 +293,7 @@ namespace config {
 			.add(ntcp2)
 			.add(nettime)
 			.add(persist)
+			.add(cpuext)
 		;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libi2pd/Crypto.cpp b/libi2pd/Crypto.cpp
index 9dcff128..523828ce 100644
--- a/libi2pd/Crypto.cpp
+++ b/libi2pd/Crypto.cpp
@@ -1345,9 +1345,9 @@ namespace crypto
 		}
 	}*/
 
-	void InitCrypto (bool precomputation, bool aesni, bool avx)
+	void InitCrypto (bool precomputation, bool aesni, bool avx, bool force)
 	{
-		i2p::cpu::Detect (aesni, avx);
+		i2p::cpu::Detect (aesni, avx, force);
 #if LEGACY_OPENSSL
 		SSL_library_init ();
 #endif
diff --git a/libi2pd/Crypto.h b/libi2pd/Crypto.h
index d9eb3323..da7a4bf4 100644
--- a/libi2pd/Crypto.h
+++ b/libi2pd/Crypto.h
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ namespace crypto
 	};
 
 // init and terminate
-	void InitCrypto (bool precomputation, bool aesni, bool avx);
+	void InitCrypto (bool precomputation, bool aesni, bool avx, bool force);
 	void TerminateCrypto ();
 }
 }
diff --git a/libi2pd/api.cpp b/libi2pd/api.cpp
index de6d7bb8..faeee84d 100644
--- a/libi2pd/api.cpp
+++ b/libi2pd/api.cpp
@@ -37,9 +37,10 @@ namespace api
 		i2p::fs::Init();
 
 		bool precomputation; i2p::config::GetOption("precomputation.elgamal", precomputation);
-		bool aesni; i2p::config::GetOption("aesni", aesni);
-		bool avx; i2p::config::GetOption("avx", avx);
-		i2p::crypto::InitCrypto (precomputation, aesni, avx);
+		bool aesni; i2p::config::GetOption("cpuext.aesni", aesni);
+		bool avx; i2p::config::GetOption("cpuext.avx", avx);
+		bool forceCpuExt; i2p::config::GetOption("cpuext.force", forceCpuExt);
+		i2p::crypto::InitCrypto (precomputation, aesni, avx, forceCpuExt);
 
 		int netID; i2p::config::GetOption("netid", netID);
 		i2p::context.SetNetID (netID);