diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7e6d9cb2139..8f35310cd08 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15939,44 +15939,6 @@ cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
 #define HAVE__BUILTIN_CTZ 1
 _ACEOF
 
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for __builtin_popcount" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for __builtin_popcount... " >&6; }
-if ${pgac_cv__builtin_popcount+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-int
-call__builtin_popcount(unsigned int x)
-{
-    return __builtin_popcount(x);
-}
-int
-main ()
-{
-
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  pgac_cv__builtin_popcount=yes
-else
-  pgac_cv__builtin_popcount=no
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $pgac_cv__builtin_popcount" >&5
-$as_echo "$pgac_cv__builtin_popcount" >&6; }
-if test x"${pgac_cv__builtin_popcount}" = xyes ; then
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT 1
-_ACEOF
-
 fi
 # __builtin_frame_address may draw a diagnostic for non-constant argument,
 # so it needs a different test function.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f77ced6ddea..0bad016f01c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1865,7 +1865,6 @@ PGAC_CHECK_BUILTIN_FUNC([__builtin_bswap64], [long int x])
 # We assume that we needn't test all widths of these explicitly:
 PGAC_CHECK_BUILTIN_FUNC([__builtin_clz], [unsigned int x])
 PGAC_CHECK_BUILTIN_FUNC([__builtin_ctz], [unsigned int x])
-PGAC_CHECK_BUILTIN_FUNC([__builtin_popcount], [unsigned int x])
 # __builtin_frame_address may draw a diagnostic for non-constant argument,
 # so it needs a different test function.
 PGAC_CHECK_BUILTIN_FUNC_PTR([__builtin_frame_address], [0])
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ebfb85e93e5..83d1f06b528 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2006,7 +2006,6 @@ builtins = [
   'ctz',
   'constant_p',
   'frame_address',
-  'popcount',
   'unreachable',
 ]
 
diff --git a/src/include/pg_config.h.in b/src/include/pg_config.h.in
index 3824a5571bb..af08c5a7eb8 100644
--- a/src/include/pg_config.h.in
+++ b/src/include/pg_config.h.in
@@ -526,9 +526,6 @@
 /* Define to 1 if your compiler understands __builtin_$op_overflow. */
 #undef HAVE__BUILTIN_OP_OVERFLOW
 
-/* Define to 1 if your compiler understands __builtin_popcount. */
-#undef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
-
 /* Define to 1 if your compiler understands __builtin_types_compatible_p. */
 #undef HAVE__BUILTIN_TYPES_COMPATIBLE_P
 
diff --git a/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h b/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h
index 789663edd93..0bca559caaa 100644
--- a/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h
+++ b/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h
@@ -297,51 +297,41 @@ extern uint64 pg_popcount_masked_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mas
 /*
  * pg_popcount32
  *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
+ *
+ * Adapted from
+ * https://graphics.stanford.edu/~seander/bithacks.html#CountBitsSetParallel.
+ *
+ * Note that newer versions of popular compilers will automatically replace
+ * this with a special popcount instruction if possible, so we don't bother
+ * using builtin functions or intrinsics.
  */
 static inline int
 pg_popcount32(uint32 word)
 {
-#ifdef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
-	return __builtin_popcount(word);
-#else							/* !HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
-	int			result = 0;
-
-	while (word != 0)
-	{
-		result += pg_number_of_ones[word & 255];
-		word >>= 8;
-	}
-
-	return result;
-#endif							/* HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
+	word -= (word >> 1) & 0x55555555;
+	word = (word & 0x33333333) + ((word >> 2) & 0x33333333);
+	return (((word + (word >> 4)) & 0xf0f0f0f) * 0x1010101) >> 24;
 }
 
 /*
  * pg_popcount64
  *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
+ *
+ * Adapted from
+ * https://graphics.stanford.edu/~seander/bithacks.html#CountBitsSetParallel.
+ *
+ * Note that newer versions of popular compilers will automatically replace
+ * this with a special popcount instruction if possible, so we don't bother
+ * using builtin functions or intrinsics.
  */
 static inline int
 pg_popcount64(uint64 word)
 {
-#ifdef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
-#if SIZEOF_LONG == 8
-	return __builtin_popcountl(word);
-#elif SIZEOF_LONG_LONG == 8
-	return __builtin_popcountll(word);
-#else
-#error "cannot find integer of the same size as uint64_t"
-#endif
-#else							/* !HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
-	int			result = 0;
-
-	while (word != 0)
-	{
-		result += pg_number_of_ones[word & 255];
-		word >>= 8;
-	}
-
-	return result;
-#endif							/* HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
+	word -= (word >> 1) & UINT64CONST(0x5555555555555555);
+	word = (word & UINT64CONST(0x3333333333333333)) +
+		((word >> 2) & UINT64CONST(0x3333333333333333));
+	word = (word + (word >> 4)) & UINT64CONST(0xf0f0f0f0f0f0f0f);
+	return (word * UINT64CONST(0x101010101010101)) >> 56;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c b/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
index f474ef45510..b0f10ae07a4 100644
--- a/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
+++ b/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
@@ -298,11 +298,6 @@ pg_popcount_masked_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 static inline int
 pg_popcount64_neon(uint64 word)
 {
-	/*
-	 * For some compilers, __builtin_popcountl() already emits Neon
-	 * instructions.  The line below should compile to the same code on those
-	 * systems.
-	 */
 	return vaddv_u8(vcnt_u8(vld1_u8((const uint8 *) &word)));
 }