diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile b/arch/x86/Makefile
index 9ecbc1c46c74c21fbff82e0281f54684b0e1ce43..eeda43abed6ec8d48837abaa5f6c18a40c38785a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile
@@ -13,14 +13,22 @@ endif
 
 # How to compile the 16-bit code.  Note we always compile for -march=i386;
 # that way we can complain to the user if the CPU is insufficient.
-REALMODE_CFLAGS	:= -m32 -g -Os -D__KERNEL__ -DDISABLE_BRANCH_PROFILING \
+#
+# The -m16 option is supported by GCC >= 4.9 and clang >= 3.5. For
+# older versions of GCC, we need to play evil and unreliable tricks to
+# attempt to ensure that our asm(".code16gcc") is first in the asm
+# output.
+CODE16GCC_CFLAGS := -m32 -include $(srctree)/arch/x86/boot/code16gcc.h \
+		    $(call cc-option, -fno-toplevel-reorder,\
+		      $(call cc-option, -fno-unit-at-a-time))
+M16_CFLAGS	 := $(call cc-option, -m16, $(CODE16GCC_CFLAGS))
+
+REALMODE_CFLAGS	:= $(M16_CFLAGS) -g -Os -D__KERNEL__ \
+		   -DDISABLE_BRANCH_PROFILING \
 		   -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -march=i386 -mregparm=3 \
-		   -include $(srctree)/arch/x86/boot/code16gcc.h \
 		   -fno-strict-aliasing -fomit-frame-pointer -fno-pic \
 		   -mno-mmx -mno-sse \
 		   $(call cc-option, -ffreestanding) \
-		   $(call cc-option, -fno-toplevel-reorder,\
-		   $(call cc-option, -fno-unit-at-a-time)) \
 		   $(call cc-option, -fno-stack-protector) \
 		   $(call cc-option, -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2)
 export REALMODE_CFLAGS