diff --git a/Makefile.arm b/Makefile.arm
index 2f7b33730..272220ca9 100644
--- a/Makefile.arm
+++ b/Makefile.arm
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ endif
 
 
 ifeq ($(CORE), ARMV5)
-CCOMMON_OPT += -marm -mfpu=vfp -mfloat-abi=hard  -march=armv6
-FCOMMON_OPT += -marm -mfpu=vfp -mfloat-abi=hard  -march=armv6
+CCOMMON_OPT += -marm -march=armv5
+FCOMMON_OPT += -marm -march=armv5
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/common_arm.h b/common_arm.h
index 84691d766..6bf836835 100644
--- a/common_arm.h
+++ b/common_arm.h
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@ static inline int blas_quickdivide(blasint x, blasint y){
   return x / y;
 }
 
-#if defined(DOUBLE)
+#if !defined(HAVE_VFP)
+/* no FPU, soft float */
+#define GET_IMAGE(res)
+#elif defined(DOUBLE)
 #define GET_IMAGE(res)  __asm__ __volatile__("vstr.f64 d1, %0" : "=m"(res) : : "memory")
 #else
 #define GET_IMAGE(res)  __asm__ __volatile__("vstr.f32 s1, %0" : "=m"(res) : : "memory")
diff --git a/getarch.c b/getarch.c
index d56a37a7a..89e736a31 100644
--- a/getarch.c
+++ b/getarch.c
@@ -798,8 +798,7 @@ USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #define ARCHCONFIG   "-DARMV5 " \
        "-DL1_DATA_SIZE=65536 -DL1_DATA_LINESIZE=32 " \
        "-DL2_SIZE=512488 -DL2_LINESIZE=32 " \
-       "-DDTB_DEFAULT_ENTRIES=64 -DDTB_SIZE=4096 -DL2_ASSOCIATIVE=4 " \
-       "-DHAVE_VFP"
+       "-DDTB_DEFAULT_ENTRIES=64 -DDTB_SIZE=4096 -DL2_ASSOCIATIVE=4 "
 #define LIBNAME   "armv5"
 #define CORENAME  "ARMV5"
 #else