diff --git a/lib/libthr/arch/arm/include/pthread_md.h b/lib/libthr/arch/arm/include/pthread_md.h
index 83ddf7f85951..3c3dd6dbea99 100644
--- a/lib/libthr/arch/arm/include/pthread_md.h
+++ b/lib/libthr/arch/arm/include/pthread_md.h
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@ void		_tcb_dtor(struct tcb *);
 static __inline void
 _tcb_set(struct tcb *tcb)
 {
-	*((struct tcb **)ARM_TP_ADDRESS) = tcb;
+#ifdef ARM_TP_ADDRESS
+	*((struct tcb **)ARM_TP_ADDRESS) = tcb;	/* avoids a system call */
+#else
+	sysarch(ARM_SET_TP, tcb);
+#endif
 }
 
 /*
@@ -66,7 +70,15 @@ _tcb_set(struct tcb *tcb)
 static __inline struct tcb *
 _tcb_get(void)
 {
+#ifdef ARM_TP_ADDRESS
 	return (*((struct tcb **)ARM_TP_ADDRESS));
+#else
+	struct tcb *tcb;
+
+	__asm __volatile("mrc  p15, 0, %0, c13, c0, 3"		\
+	   		 : "=r" (tcb));
+	return (tcb);
+#endif
 }
 
 extern struct pthread *_thr_initial;