diff --git a/distutils/_msvccompiler.py b/distutils/_msvccompiler.py
index e9af4cf5..b7a06082 100644
--- a/distutils/_msvccompiler.py
+++ b/distutils/_msvccompiler.py
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def initialize(self, plat_name=None):
         # Future releases of Python 3.x will include all past
         # versions of vcruntime*.dll for compatibility.
         self.compile_options = [
-            '/nologo', '/Ox', '/W3', '/GL', '/DNDEBUG', '/MD'
+            '/nologo', '/O2', '/W3', '/GL', '/DNDEBUG', '/MD'
         ]
 
         self.compile_options_debug = [
diff --git a/distutils/msvc9compiler.py b/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
index 6934e964..a1b3b02f 100644
--- a/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
+++ b/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
@@ -399,13 +399,13 @@ def initialize(self, plat_name=None):
 
         self.preprocess_options = None
         if self.__arch == "x86":
-            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/Ox', '/MD', '/W3',
+            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/O2', '/MD', '/W3',
                                      '/DNDEBUG']
             self.compile_options_debug = ['/nologo', '/Od', '/MDd', '/W3',
                                           '/Z7', '/D_DEBUG']
         else:
             # Win64
-            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/Ox', '/MD', '/W3', '/GS-' ,
+            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/O2', '/MD', '/W3', '/GS-' ,
                                      '/DNDEBUG']
             self.compile_options_debug = ['/nologo', '/Od', '/MDd', '/W3', '/GS-',
                                           '/Z7', '/D_DEBUG']
diff --git a/distutils/msvccompiler.py b/distutils/msvccompiler.py
index d5857cb1..2d447b85 100644
--- a/distutils/msvccompiler.py
+++ b/distutils/msvccompiler.py
@@ -283,13 +283,13 @@ def initialize(self):
 
         self.preprocess_options = None
         if self.__arch == "Intel":
-            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/Ox', '/MD', '/W3', '/GX' ,
+            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/O2', '/MD', '/W3', '/GX' ,
                                      '/DNDEBUG']
             self.compile_options_debug = ['/nologo', '/Od', '/MDd', '/W3', '/GX',
                                           '/Z7', '/D_DEBUG']
         else:
             # Win64
-            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/Ox', '/MD', '/W3', '/GS-' ,
+            self.compile_options = [ '/nologo', '/O2', '/MD', '/W3', '/GS-' ,
                                      '/DNDEBUG']
             self.compile_options_debug = ['/nologo', '/Od', '/MDd', '/W3', '/GS-',
                                           '/Z7', '/D_DEBUG']