diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/alternative-asm.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/alternative-asm.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ee9340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/alternative-asm.h
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#ifndef __ASM_ALTERNATIVE_ASM_H
+#define __ASM_ALTERNATIVE_ASM_H
+
+#ifdef __ASSEMBLY__
+
+.macro altinstruction_entry orig_offset alt_offset feature orig_len alt_len
+	.word \orig_offset - .
+	.word \alt_offset - .
+	.hword \feature
+	.byte \orig_len
+	.byte \alt_len
+.endm
+
+#endif  /*  __ASSEMBLY__  */
+
+#endif /* __ASM_ALTERNATIVE_ASM_H */
diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/alternative.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/alternative.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6d206e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/alternative.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#ifndef __ASM_ALTERNATIVE_H
+#define __ASM_ALTERNATIVE_H
+
+#include <linux/types.h>
+#include <linux/stddef.h>
+#include <linux/stringify.h>
+
+struct alt_instr {
+	s32 orig_offset;	/* offset to original instruction */
+	s32 alt_offset;		/* offset to replacement instruction */
+	u16 cpufeature;		/* cpufeature bit set for replacement */
+	u8  orig_len;		/* size of original instruction(s) */
+	u8  alt_len;		/* size of new instruction(s), <= orig_len */
+};
+
+void apply_alternatives(void);
+void free_alternatives_memory(void);
+
+#define ALTINSTR_ENTRY(feature)						      \
+	" .word 661b - .\n"				/* label           */ \
+	" .word 663f - .\n"				/* new instruction */ \
+	" .hword " __stringify(feature) "\n"		/* feature bit     */ \
+	" .byte 662b-661b\n"				/* source len      */ \
+	" .byte 664f-663f\n"				/* replacement len */
+
+/* alternative assembly primitive: */
+#define ALTERNATIVE(oldinstr, newinstr, feature)			\
+	"661:\n\t"							\
+	oldinstr "\n"							\
+	"662:\n"							\
+	".pushsection .altinstructions,\"a\"\n"				\
+	ALTINSTR_ENTRY(feature)						\
+	".popsection\n"							\
+	".pushsection .altinstr_replacement, \"a\"\n"			\
+	"663:\n\t"							\
+	newinstr "\n"							\
+	"664:\n\t"							\
+	".popsection\n\t"						\
+	".if ((664b-663b) != (662b-661b))\n\t"				\
+	"	.error \"Alternatives instruction length mismatch\"\n\t"\
+	".endif\n"
+
+#endif /* __ASM_ALTERNATIVE_H */
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/Makefile b/arch/arm64/kernel/Makefile
index b36ebd0..591a65d 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 			   entry-fpsimd.o process.o ptrace.o setup.o signal.o	\
 			   sys.o stacktrace.o time.o traps.o io.o vdso.o	\
 			   hyp-stub.o psci.o cpu_ops.o insn.o return_address.o	\
-			   cpuinfo.o
+			   cpuinfo.o alternative.o
 
 arm64-obj-$(CONFIG_COMPAT)		+= sys32.o kuser32.o signal32.o 	\
 					   sys_compat.o 			\
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/alternative.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/alternative.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a3bada
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/alternative.c
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * alternative runtime patching
+ * inspired by the x86 version
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 ARM Ltd.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it 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
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#define pr_fmt(fmt) "alternatives: " fmt
+
+#include <linux/init.h>
+#include <linux/cpu.h>
+#include <asm/cacheflush.h>
+#include <asm/alternative.h>
+#include <asm/cpufeature.h>
+#include <linux/stop_machine.h>
+
+extern struct alt_instr __alt_instructions[], __alt_instructions_end[];
+
+static int __apply_alternatives(void *dummy)
+{
+	struct alt_instr *alt;
+	u8 *origptr, *replptr;
+
+	for (alt = __alt_instructions; alt < __alt_instructions_end; alt++) {
+		if (!cpus_have_cap(alt->cpufeature))
+			continue;
+
+		BUG_ON(alt->alt_len > alt->orig_len);
+
+		pr_info_once("patching kernel code\n");
+
+		origptr = (u8 *)&alt->orig_offset + alt->orig_offset;
+		replptr = (u8 *)&alt->alt_offset + alt->alt_offset;
+		memcpy(origptr, replptr, alt->alt_len);
+		flush_icache_range((uintptr_t)origptr,
+				   (uintptr_t)(origptr + alt->alt_len));
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void apply_alternatives(void)
+{
+	/* better not try code patching on a live SMP system */
+	stop_machine(__apply_alternatives, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+void free_alternatives_memory(void)
+{
+	free_reserved_area(__alt_instructions, __alt_instructions_end,
+			   0, "alternatives");
+}
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/smp.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/smp.c
index b06d1d9..0ef8789 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/smp.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/smp.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <linux/of.h>
 #include <linux/irq_work.h>
 
+#include <asm/alternative.h>
 #include <asm/atomic.h>
 #include <asm/cacheflush.h>
 #include <asm/cpu.h>
@@ -309,6 +310,7 @@
 void __init smp_cpus_done(unsigned int max_cpus)
 {
 	pr_info("SMP: Total of %d processors activated.\n", num_online_cpus());
+	apply_alternatives();
 }
 
 void __init smp_prepare_boot_cpu(void)
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S b/arch/arm64/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
index 4596f46..3236727 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
@@ -116,6 +116,17 @@
 	. = ALIGN(PAGE_SIZE);
 	__init_end = .;
 
+	. = ALIGN(4);
+	.altinstructions : {
+		__alt_instructions = .;
+		*(.altinstructions)
+		__alt_instructions_end = .;
+	}
+	.altinstr_replacement : {
+		*(.altinstr_replacement)
+	}
+
+	. = ALIGN(PAGE_SIZE);
 	_data = .;
 	_sdata = .;
 	RW_DATA_SECTION(64, PAGE_SIZE, THREAD_SIZE)
diff --git a/arch/arm64/mm/init.c b/arch/arm64/mm/init.c
index 494297c..bac492c 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/mm/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/mm/init.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <asm/setup.h>
 #include <asm/sizes.h>
 #include <asm/tlb.h>
+#include <asm/alternative.h>
 
 #include "mm.h"
 
@@ -325,6 +326,7 @@
 void free_initmem(void)
 {
 	free_initmem_default(0);
+	free_alternatives_memory();
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD