diff --git a/arch/powerpc/Makefile b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
index 8a2463670a5b8107243f313c7e272339570ce301..a284d7fbc97f791ecf11fddfd9a24efd5d9d1df1 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/powerpc/Makefile
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ CFLAGS-$(CONFIG_POWER5_CPU) += $(call cc-option,-mcpu=power5)
 CFLAGS-$(CONFIG_POWER6_CPU) += $(call cc-option,-mcpu=power6)
 CFLAGS-$(CONFIG_POWER7_CPU) += $(call cc-option,-mcpu=power7)
 
+# Altivec option not allowed with e500mc64 in GCC.
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_ALTIVEC),y)
+E5500_CPU := -mcpu=powerpc64
+else
 E5500_CPU := $(call cc-option,-mcpu=e500mc64,-mcpu=powerpc64)
+endif
 CFLAGS-$(CONFIG_E5500_CPU) += $(E5500_CPU)
 CFLAGS-$(CONFIG_E6500_CPU) += $(call cc-option,-mcpu=e6500,$(E5500_CPU))