diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_system_info.h b/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_system_info.h
index c49bae5afa..3575fe869c 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_system_info.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_system_info.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2004, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright 2004-2005, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de. All rights reserved.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 #ifndef _KERNEL_ARCH_x86_SYSTEM_INFO_H
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 status_t get_current_cpuid(cpuid_info *info, uint32 eax);
+uint32 get_eflags(void);
+void set_eflags(uint32 value);
+
 status_t _user_get_cpuid(cpuid_info *info, uint32 eax, uint32 cpu);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/stage2_priv.h b/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/stage2_priv.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 6b90f325e7..0000000000
--- a/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/stage2_priv.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,51 +0,0 @@
-/*
-** Copyright 2001, Travis Geiselbrecht. All rights reserved.
-** Distributed under the terms of the NewOS License.
-*/
-#ifndef _STAGE2_PRIV_H
-#define _STAGE2_PRIV_H
-
-
-#include <SupportDefs.h>
-#include <boot/stage2.h>
-
-
-extern void clearscreen(void);
-extern void kputs(const char *str);
-extern int dprintf(const char *fmt, ...);
-extern void spin(uint64 microseconds);
-extern void execute_n_instructions(int count);
-void system_time_setup(long a);
-uint64 rdtsc();
-unsigned int get_eflags(void);
-void set_eflags(uint32 val);
-void cpuid(uint32 selector, uint32 *data);
-
-//void put_uint_dec(unsigned int a);
-//void put_uint_hex(unsigned int a);
-//void nmessage(const char *str1, unsigned int a, const char *str2);
-//void nmessage2(const char *str1, unsigned int a, const char *str2, unsigned int b, const char *str3);
-
-#define ROUNDUP(a, b) (((a) + ((b) - 1)) & (~((b) - 1)))
-#define ROUNDOWN(a, b) (((a) / (b)) * (b))
-
-#define PAGE_SIZE 0x1000
-#define KERNEL_BASE 0x80000000
-#define KERNEL_ENTRY 0x80000080
-#define STACK_SIZE 2
-#define DEFAULT_PAGE_FLAGS (1 | 2) // present/rw
-#define SCREEN_WIDTH 80
-#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 24
-#define ADDR_MASK 0xfffff000
-
-struct gdt_idt_descr {
-	uint16 a;
-	uint32 *b;
-} _PACKED;
-
-// SMP stuff
-extern int smp_boot(kernel_args *ka, uint32 kernel_entry);
-extern void smp_trampoline(void);
-extern void smp_trampoline_end(void);
-
-#endif	/* _STAGE2_PRIV_H */
diff --git a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/cpu.cpp b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/cpu.cpp
index f4a5bffcc1..757148b271 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/cpu.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/cpu.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <boot/stage2.h>
 #include <arch/cpu.h>
 #include <arch_kernel.h>
+#include <arch_system_info.h>
 
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ uint32 gTimeConversionFactor;
 
 #define TIMER_CLKNUM_HZ (14318180/12)
 
+#define CPUID_EFLAGS	(1UL << 21)
+#define RDTSC_FEATURE	(1UL << 4)
+
 
 static void
 calculate_cpu_conversion_factor()
@@ -213,7 +217,23 @@ not_so_quick_sample:
 static status_t
 check_cpu_features()
 {
-	// ToDo: for now
+	// check the eflags register to see if the cpuid instruction exists
+	if ((get_eflags() & CPUID_EFLAGS) == 0) {
+		// it's not set yet, but maybe we can set it manually
+		set_eflags(get_eflags() | CPUID_EFLAGS);
+		if ((get_eflags() & CPUID_EFLAGS) == 0)
+			return B_ERROR;
+	}
+
+	cpuid_info info;
+	if (get_current_cpuid(&info, 1) != B_OK)
+		return B_ERROR;
+
+	if ((info.eax_1.features & RDTSC_FEATURE) == 0) {
+		// we currently require RDTSC
+		return B_ERROR;
+	}
+
 	return B_OK;
 }