diff --git a/src/cpu/core_normal/table_ea.h b/src/cpu/core_normal/table_ea.h
index 279e0ee79..a01de57b3 100644
--- a/src/cpu/core_normal/table_ea.h
+++ b/src/cpu/core_normal/table_ea.h
@@ -174,8 +174,6 @@ static GetEAHandler EATable[512]={
 	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0,	0
 };
 
-extern bool do_seg_limits;
-
 #define GetEADirect(sz)						\
 	PhysPt eaa;						\
 	if (TEST_PREFIX_ADDR)					\
diff --git a/src/cpu/core_normal_286.cpp b/src/cpu/core_normal_286.cpp
index b8e5b0ab4..ed1cf84f8 100644
--- a/src/cpu/core_normal_286.cpp
+++ b/src/cpu/core_normal_286.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ bool CPU_WRMSR();
 bool CPU_SYSENTER();
 bool CPU_SYSEXIT();
 
+/* wrap original variable name in inline function prior to #define, use inline function name in redefine of do_seg_limits */
+static inline bool _seg_limit_check(void) {
+	return do_seg_limits;
+}
+
+/* Do not emulate segment limit exceptions on 80186, DO emulate on 286. */
+#define do_seg_limits (_seg_limit_check() && CPU_ArchitectureType >= CPU_ARCHTYPE_286)
+
 #define PRE_EXCEPTION { }
 
 #define CPU_CORE CPU_ARCHTYPE_286
diff --git a/src/cpu/core_normal_8086.cpp b/src/cpu/core_normal_8086.cpp
index 0bfc15a4d..40d36937d 100644
--- a/src/cpu/core_normal_8086.cpp
+++ b/src/cpu/core_normal_8086.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 #include "pic.h"
 #include "fpu.h"
 
+/* Do not emulate segment limit exceptions on 8086. This turns the if() statements into if (0)
+ * and the C++ compiler optimizer should then completely omit the code for the 8086 cputype. */
+#define do_seg_limits (0)
+
 /* 8086: Apparently exceptions like DIVIDE BY ZERO are given a return address of the next instruction */
 #define PRE_EXCEPTION SAVEIP
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/core_prefetch_286.cpp b/src/cpu/core_prefetch_286.cpp
index 64d965ad8..f9b094149 100644
--- a/src/cpu/core_prefetch_286.cpp
+++ b/src/cpu/core_prefetch_286.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ bool CPU_WRMSR();
 bool CPU_SYSENTER();
 bool CPU_SYSEXIT();
 
+/* wrap original variable name in inline function prior to #define, use inline function name in redefine of do_seg_limits */
+static inline bool _seg_limit_check(void) {
+	return do_seg_limits;
+}
+
+/* Do not emulate segment limit exceptions on 80186, DO emulate on 286. */
+#define do_seg_limits (_seg_limit_check() && CPU_ArchitectureType >= CPU_ARCHTYPE_286)
+
 #define PRE_EXCEPTION { }
 
 #define CPU_CORE CPU_ARCHTYPE_286
diff --git a/src/cpu/core_prefetch_8086.cpp b/src/cpu/core_prefetch_8086.cpp
index 4da287615..cbd4c1c1d 100644
--- a/src/cpu/core_prefetch_8086.cpp
+++ b/src/cpu/core_prefetch_8086.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ using namespace std;
 
 #include <algorithm>
 
+/* Do not emulate segment limit exceptions on 8086. This turns the if() statements into if (0)
+ * and the C++ compiler optimizer should then completely omit the code for the 8086 cputype. */
+#define do_seg_limits (0)
+
 /* 8086: Apparently exceptions like DIVIDE BY ZERO are given a return address of the next instruction */
 #define PRE_EXCEPTION SAVEIP