diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c b/arch/arm/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
index ba386bd94107642d9819a7d8bafb7ba04e92b83f..18d39ea4c02f8d67a8d894714e102c79c9bebb81 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ static int debug_arch_supported(void)
 		arch >= ARM_DEBUG_ARCH_V7_1;
 }
 
+/* Can we determine the watchpoint access type from the fsr? */
+static int debug_exception_updates_fsr(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /* Determine number of WRP registers available. */
 static int get_num_wrp_resources(void)
 {
@@ -619,18 +625,35 @@ int arch_validate_hwbkpt_settings(struct perf_event *bp)
 	info->address &= ~alignment_mask;
 	info->ctrl.len <<= offset;
 
-	/*
-	 * Currently we rely on an overflow handler to take
-	 * care of single-stepping the breakpoint when it fires.
-	 * In the case of userspace breakpoints on a core with V7 debug,
-	 * we can use the mismatch feature as a poor-man's hardware
-	 * single-step, but this only works for per-task breakpoints.
-	 */
-	if (!bp->overflow_handler && (arch_check_bp_in_kernelspace(bp) ||
-	    !core_has_mismatch_brps() || !bp->hw.bp_target)) {
-		pr_warning("overflow handler required but none found\n");
-		ret = -EINVAL;
+	if (!bp->overflow_handler) {
+		/*
+		 * Mismatch breakpoints are required for single-stepping
+		 * breakpoints.
+		 */
+		if (!core_has_mismatch_brps())
+			return -EINVAL;
+
+		/* We don't allow mismatch breakpoints in kernel space. */
+		if (arch_check_bp_in_kernelspace(bp))
+			return -EPERM;
+
+		/*
+		 * Per-cpu breakpoints are not supported by our stepping
+		 * mechanism.
+		 */
+		if (!bp->hw.bp_target)
+			return -EINVAL;
+
+		/*
+		 * We only support specific access types if the fsr
+		 * reports them.
+		 */
+		if (!debug_exception_updates_fsr() &&
+		    (info->ctrl.type == ARM_BREAKPOINT_LOAD ||
+		     info->ctrl.type == ARM_BREAKPOINT_STORE))
+			return -EINVAL;
 	}
+
 out:
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -706,10 +729,12 @@ static void watchpoint_handler(unsigned long addr, unsigned int fsr,
 				goto unlock;
 
 			/* Check that the access type matches. */
-			access = (fsr & ARM_FSR_ACCESS_MASK) ? HW_BREAKPOINT_W :
-				 HW_BREAKPOINT_R;
-			if (!(access & hw_breakpoint_type(wp)))
-				goto unlock;
+			if (debug_exception_updates_fsr()) {
+				access = (fsr & ARM_FSR_ACCESS_MASK) ?
+					  HW_BREAKPOINT_W : HW_BREAKPOINT_R;
+				if (!(access & hw_breakpoint_type(wp)))
+					goto unlock;
+			}
 
 			/* We have a winner. */
 			info->trigger = addr;