diff --git a/compiler/i386/popt386.pas b/compiler/i386/popt386.pas
index 34ec3bc580..2f9b5296cb 100644
--- a/compiler/i386/popt386.pas
+++ b/compiler/i386/popt386.pas
@@ -453,16 +453,6 @@ begin
                           hp1.free;
                         end;
                 end;
-              A_XOR:
-                if (taicpu(p).oper[0]^.typ = top_reg) and
-                   (taicpu(p).oper[1]^.typ = top_reg) and
-                   (taicpu(p).oper[0]^.reg = taicpu(p).oper[1]^.reg) then
-                 { temporarily change this to 'mov reg,0' to make it easier }
-                 { for the CSE. Will be changed back in pass 2              }
-                  begin
-                    taicpu(p).opcode := A_MOV;
-                    taicpu(p).loadConst(0,0);
-                  end;
             end;
           end;
       end;
diff --git a/compiler/x86/cgx86.pas b/compiler/x86/cgx86.pas
index 229d549077..3d4f48cb34 100644
--- a/compiler/x86/cgx86.pas
+++ b/compiler/x86/cgx86.pas
@@ -909,9 +909,10 @@ unit cgx86;
 
       begin
         check_register_size(tosize,reg);
-        { the optimizer will change it to "xor reg,reg" when loading zero, }
-        { no need to do it here too (JM)                                   }
-        list.concat(taicpu.op_const_reg(A_MOV,TCGSize2OpSize[tosize],a,reg))
+        if a=0 then
+          list.concat(taicpu.op_reg_reg(A_XOR,TCGSize2OpSize[tosize],reg,reg))
+        else
+          list.concat(taicpu.op_const_reg(A_MOV,TCGSize2OpSize[tosize],a,reg));
       end;