diff --git a/headers/private/system/arch/arm/arch_arm_version.h b/headers/private/system/arch/arm/arch_arm_version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4fcd3f48b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/headers/private/system/arch/arm/arch_arm_version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2008, François Revol, revol@free.fr.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+#ifndef SYSTEM_ARCH_ARM_ARCH_ARM_VERSION_H
+#define SYSTEM_ARCH_ARM_ARCH_ARM_VERSION_H
+
+/* map all the various ARM defines to arch version to allow checking for minimal arch */
+
+#if defined(__ARM_ARCH_2__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_3__)
+#error we do not support this
+#endif
+
+#if defined(__ARM_ARCH_4__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_4T__)
+#define __ARM_ARCH__ 4
+#endif
+
+#if defined(__ARM_ARCH_5__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_5E__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_5T__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_5TE__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_5TEJ__)
+#define __ARM_ARCH__ 5
+#endif
+
+#if defined(__ARM_ARCH_6__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6J__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6K__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6ZK__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6T2__)
+#define __ARM_ARCH__ 6
+#endif
+
+#if defined(__ARM_ARCH_7__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_7A__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_7R__) \
+ || defined(__ARM_ARCH_7M__)
+#define __ARM_ARCH__ 7
+#endif
+
+#ifndef __ARM_ARCH__
+#error cannot determine arm arch version
+#endif
+
+#endif	/* SYSTEM_ARCH_ARM_ARCH_ARM_VERSION_H */
+
diff --git a/headers/private/system/arch/arm/asm_defs.h b/headers/private/system/arch/arm/asm_defs.h
index f7a5e477d3..3a01b334b8 100644
--- a/headers/private/system/arch/arm/asm_defs.h
+++ b/headers/private/system/arch/arm/asm_defs.h
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@
 #define SYSTEM_ARCH_ARM_ASM_DEFS_H
 
 
+/* include arch version helpers */
+#include <arch_arm_version.h>
+
 #define SYMBOL(name)			.global name; name
 #define SYMBOL_END(name)		1: .size name, 1b - name
 #define STATIC_FUNCTION(name)	.type name, %function; name
 #define FUNCTION(name)			.global name; .type name, %function; name
 #define FUNCTION_END(name)		1: .size name, 1b - name
 
-
 #endif	/* SYSTEM_ARCH_ARM_ASM_DEFS_H */