diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index b60cd618c3..c3b64df5d6 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ util-validate.h util-affinity.h util-affinity.c \
 util-memcmp.c util-memcmp.h \
 util-proto-name.c util-proto-name.h \
 util-syslog.c util-syslog.h \
+util-vector.h \
 tm-modules.c tm-modules.h \
 tm-queues.c tm-queues.h \
 tm-queuehandlers.c tm-queuehandlers.h \
diff --git a/src/util-vector.h b/src/util-vector.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79c3fafb51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util-vector.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2007-2011 Open Information Security Foundation
+ *
+ * You can copy, redistribute or modify this Program under the terms of
+ * the GNU General Public License version 2 as published by the Free
+ * Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA
+ * 02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * \file
+ *
+ * \author Victor Julien <victor@inliniac.net>
+ */
+
+#ifndef __UTIL_VECTOR_H__
+#define __UTIL_VECTOR_H__
+
+#ifdef defined(__SSE3__)
+
+#include <pmmintrin.h>
+
+typedef struct Vector_ {
+    union {
+        __m128i v;          /**< vector */
+        uint8_t c[16];      /**< character */
+        uint16_t w[8];      /**< word */
+        uint32_t dw[4];     /**< double word */
+        uint64_t qw[2];     /**< quad word */
+    };
+} Vector __attribute((aligned(16)));
+
+#endif /* defined(__SSE3__) */
+
+#endif /* __UTIL_VECTOR_H__ */