diff --git a/arch/ppc/Makefile b/arch/ppc/Makefile
index 121d2347b89fd1a69a82eb298c3ec01c6a9a7679..94d5716fa7c34aa1b668d7e786fe65f486b862f4 100644
--- a/arch/ppc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ppc/Makefile
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ CPPFLAGS	+= -Iarch/$(ARCH) -Iarch/$(ARCH)/include
 AFLAGS		+= -Iarch/$(ARCH)
 CFLAGS		+= -Iarch/$(ARCH) -msoft-float -pipe \
 		-ffixed-r2 -mmultiple
+
+# No AltiVec instruction when building kernel
+CFLAGS		+= $(call cc-option, -mno-altivec)
+
 CPP		= $(CC) -E $(CFLAGS)
 # Temporary hack until we have migrated to asm-powerpc
 LINUXINCLUDE    += -Iarch/$(ARCH)/include
diff --git a/arch/ppc64/Makefile b/arch/ppc64/Makefile
index 743f0dbdebf346984a0342a583a6f7446d7ddc7e..db1b25cdb5beef969b7b2ce91a4fa0b89c7fd75f 100644
--- a/arch/ppc64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ppc64/Makefile
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ else
 	CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-mtune=power4)
 endif
 
+# No AltiVec instruction when building kernel
+CFLAGS	+= $(call cc-option, -mno-altivec)
+
 # Enable unit-at-a-time mode when possible. It shrinks the
 # kernel considerably.
 CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-funit-at-a-time)