diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 74beaee5f1..22281de9c3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -755,6 +755,9 @@ if(UNIX OR MINGW)
     # TODO:
     # - std::aligned_alloc() C++17 / C11
   endif()
+
+  CHECK_SYMBOL_EXISTS(getauxval sys/auxv.h HAVE_GETAUXVAL)
+  CHECK_SYMBOL_EXISTS(elf_aux_info sys/auxv.h HAVE_ELF_AUX_INFO)
 elseif(WIN32)
   include(CheckIncludeFile)
   include(CheckSymbolExists)
diff --git a/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 95fe8d6a4c..2412168c9d 100644
--- a/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ endif()
 if(HAVE_WIN32_ALIGNED_MALLOC)
   ocv_append_source_file_compile_definitions(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/alloc.cpp "HAVE_WIN32_ALIGNED_MALLOC=1")
 endif()
+if(HAVE_GETAUXVAL)
+  ocv_append_source_file_compile_definitions(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/system.cpp "HAVE_GETAUXVAL=1")
+endif()
+if(HAVE_ELF_AUX_INFO)
+  ocv_append_source_file_compile_definitions(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/system.cpp "HAVE_ELF_AUX_INFO=1")
+endif()
 if(HAVE_VA_INTEL_OLD_HEADER)
   ocv_append_source_file_compile_definitions("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/src/va_intel.cpp" "HAVE_VA_INTEL_OLD_HEADER")
 endif()
diff --git a/modules/core/src/system.cpp b/modules/core/src/system.cpp
index 810f62297a..98f26d5118 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/system.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/src/system.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ const uint64_t AT_HWCAP = NT_GNU_HWCAP;
 #endif
 
 
-#if (defined __ppc64__ || defined __PPC64__) && defined __unix__
+#if ((defined __ppc64__ || defined __PPC64__) && (defined HAVE_GETAUXVAL || defined HAVE_ELF_AUX_INFO))
 # include "sys/auxv.h"
 # ifndef AT_HWCAP2
 #   define AT_HWCAP2 26
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ struct HWFeatures
         have[CV_CPU_MSA] = true;
     #endif
 
-    #if (defined __ppc64__ || defined __PPC64__) && defined __linux__
+    #if (defined __ppc64__ || defined __PPC64__) && defined HAVE_GETAUXVAL
         unsigned int hwcap = getauxval(AT_HWCAP);
         if (hwcap & PPC_FEATURE_HAS_VSX) {
             hwcap = getauxval(AT_HWCAP2);
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ struct HWFeatures
                 have[CV_CPU_VSX] = (hwcap & PPC_FEATURE2_ARCH_2_07) != 0;
             }
         }
-    #elif (defined __ppc64__ || defined __PPC64__) && defined __FreeBSD__
+    #elif (defined __ppc64__ || defined __PPC64__) && defined HAVE_ELF_AUX_INFO
         unsigned long hwcap = 0;
         elf_aux_info(AT_HWCAP, &hwcap, sizeof(hwcap));
         if (hwcap & PPC_FEATURE_HAS_VSX) {
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ struct HWFeatures
             }
         }
     #else
-        // TODO: AIX, OpenBSD
+        // TODO: AIX
         #if CV_VSX || defined _ARCH_PWR8 || defined __POWER9_VECTOR__
             have[CV_CPU_VSX] = true;
         #endif