diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
index ee3653b76..f19c5c789 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ POSIX_LDLIBS += -lpthread
 ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -m32
 ARCH_DEP_LDFLAGS += -m32
 
+# default minimum target architecture is pentium
+ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -march=i586
+
 # Compiler defines _X86_ 1
 # Compiler defines __MSVCRT__ 1
 # Compiler defines __CYGWIN__ 1
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin
index 49029cf2e..2e2e18aec 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-cygwin
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ POSIX_LDLIBS += -lpthread
 ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -m32
 ARCH_DEP_LDFLAGS += -m32
 
+# default minimum target architecture is pentium
+ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -march=i586
+
 # With no-cygwin option:
 #	compiler defines _X86_ 1
 #	compiler defines __MSVCRT__ 1
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw
index f4ee2c1ff..00bfd650d 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.win32-x86-mingw
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ LDLIBS_READLINE = -lreadline -lcurses
 ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -m32
 ARCH_DEP_LDFLAGS += -m32
 
+# default minimum target architecture is pentium
+ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -march=i586
+
 # Compiler defines _X86_ 1
 # Compiler defines __MSVCRT__ 1
 # Compiler defines __MINGW32__ 1
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.linux-x86.linux-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.linux-x86.linux-x86
index 775680e11..6414b5ab0 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.linux-x86.linux-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.linux-x86.linux-x86
@@ -16,8 +16,3 @@ STATIC_LDLIBS_NO=
 
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS += -Wl,-h$@
 LOADABLE_SHRLIB_LDFLAGS += -Wl,-h$@
-
-# this means that atomic instrnsics are available, but that
-# users with 486 processors and earlier will need specialized
-# configure files
-ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -march=i586
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-cygwin.win32-x86-cygwin b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-cygwin.win32-x86-cygwin
index 5dca1b714..aa29f4d7a 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-cygwin.win32-x86-cygwin
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-cygwin.win32-x86-cygwin
@@ -23,11 +23,6 @@ SHRLIB_CFLAGS =
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -shared -Wl,--out-implib,$(LIB_PREFIX)$*$(LIB_SUFFIX)
 LOADABLE_SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -shared -Wl,--out-implib,$(LIB_PREFIX)$*$(LIB_SUFFIX)
 
-# this means that atomic instrnsics are available, but that
-# users with 486 processors and earlier will need specialized
-# configure files
-ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -march=i586
-
 # Override linking with gcc library from CONFIG.gnuCommon
 GNU_LDLIBS_YES =
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-mingw.win32-x86-mingw b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-mingw.win32-x86-mingw
index 32a6733ad..8309f8b45 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-mingw.win32-x86-mingw
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.win32-x86-mingw.win32-x86-mingw
@@ -18,11 +18,6 @@ RANLIB = ranlib
 RES=.coff
 RCCMD = windres $(INCLUDES) $< $@
 
-# this means that atomic instrnsics are available, but that
-# users with 486 processors and earlier will need specialized
-# configure files
-ARCH_DEP_CFLAGS += -march=i586
-
 # No -fPIC avoids "-fPIC ignored for target (all code is position independent)"
 SHRLIB_CFLAGS =
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -shared -Wl,--out-implib,$(LIB_PREFIX)$*$(LIB_SUFFIX)
diff --git a/src/libCom/osi/os/solaris/epicsAtomicOSD.h b/src/libCom/osi/os/solaris/epicsAtomicOSD.h
index 36273d965..5248c24ce 100644
--- a/src/libCom/osi/os/solaris/epicsAtomicOSD.h
+++ b/src/libCom/osi/os/solaris/epicsAtomicOSD.h
@@ -48,46 +48,64 @@ OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE void epicsAtomicSetUIntT ( unsigned * pTarget, unsigned newVal
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE size_t epicsAtomicIncrSizeT ( size_t * pTarget )
 {
-    return atomic_inc_uint_nv ( pTarget );
+    unsigned * const pTarg = ( unsigned * ) ( pTarget );
+    return atomic_inc_uint_nv ( pTarg );
 }
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE size_t epicsAtomicDecrSizeT ( size_t * pTarget )
 {
-    return atomic_dec_uint_nv ( pTarget );
+    unsigned * const pTarg = ( unsigned * ) ( pTarget );
+    return atomic_dec_uint_nv ( pTarg );
 }
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE void epicsAtomicSetSizeT ( size_t * pTarget, size_t newVal )
 {
-    atomic_swap_uint ( pTarget, newVal );
+    unsigned * const pTarg = ( unsigned * ) ( pTarget );
+    atomic_swap_uint ( pTarg, newVal );
 }
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE size_t epicsAtomicGetSizeT ( const size_t * pTarget )
 {
-    return atomic_or_uint_nv ( pTarget, 0U );
+    /* 
+     * we cast away const, but are careful not to modify 
+     * the target
+     */
+    unsigned * const pTarg = ( unsigned * ) ( pTarget );
+    return atomic_or_uint_nv ( pTarg, 0U );
 }
 
-#else /* SIZE_MAX == UINT_MAX */
+#elif SIZE_MAX == ULONG_MAX
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE size_t epicsAtomicIncrSizeT ( size_t * pTarget )
 {
-    return atomic_inc_ulong_nv ( pTarget );
+    unsigned long * const pTarg = ( unsigned long * ) ( pTarget );
+    return atomic_inc_ulong_nv ( pTarg );
 }
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE size_t epicsAtomicDecrSizeT ( size_t * pTarget )
 {
-    return atomic_dec_ulong_nv ( pTarget );
+    unsigned long * const pTarg = ( unsigned long * ) ( pTarget );
+    return atomic_dec_ulong_nv ( pTarg );
 }
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE void epicsAtomicSetSizeT ( size_t * pTarget, size_t newVal )
 {
-    atomic_swap_ulong ( pTarget, newval );
+    unsigned long * const pTarg = ( unsigned long * ) ( pTarget );
+    atomic_swap_ulong ( pTarg, newval );
 }
 
 OSD_ATOMIC_INLINE size_t epicsAtomicGetSizeT ( const size_t * pTarget )
 {
-    return atomic_or_ulong_nv ( pTarget, 0U );
+    /* 
+     * we cast away const, but are careful not to modify 
+     * the target
+     */
+    unsigned long * const pTarg = ( unsigned long * ) ( pTarget );
+    return atomic_or_ulong_nv ( pTarg, 0UL );
 }
 
+#else
+#   error unsupported solaris architecture
 #endif /* SIZE_MAX == UINT_MAX */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus