diff --git a/arch/arm/mm/mmu.c b/arch/arm/mm/mmu.c
index 02243eeccf50..ea67be0223ac 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mm/mmu.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mm/mmu.c
@@ -117,6 +117,13 @@ static void __init early_cachepolicy(char **p)
 	}
 	if (i == ARRAY_SIZE(cache_policies))
 		printk(KERN_ERR "ERROR: unknown or unsupported cache policy\n");
+	/*
+	 * This restriction is partly to do with the way we boot; it is
+	 * unpredictable to have memory mapped using two different sets of
+	 * memory attributes (shared, type, and cache attribs).  We can not
+	 * change these attributes once the initial assembly has setup the
+	 * page tables.
+	 */
 	if (cpu_architecture() >= CPU_ARCH_ARMv6) {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "Only cachepolicy=writeback supported on ARMv6 and later\n");
 		cachepolicy = CPOLICY_WRITEBACK;
diff --git a/arch/arm/mm/proc-v6.S b/arch/arm/mm/proc-v6.S
index 194737d60a22..70f75d2e3ead 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mm/proc-v6.S
+++ b/arch/arm/mm/proc-v6.S
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_SMP
 #define TTB_FLAGS	TTB_RGN_WBWA
+#define PMD_FLAGS	PMD_SECT_WB
 #else
 #define TTB_FLAGS	TTB_RGN_WBWA|TTB_S
+#define PMD_FLAGS	PMD_SECT_WBWA|PMD_SECT_S
 #endif
 
 ENTRY(cpu_v6_proc_init)
@@ -222,10 +224,9 @@ __v6_proc_info:
 	.long	0x0007b000
 	.long	0x0007f000
 	.long   PMD_TYPE_SECT | \
-		PMD_SECT_BUFFERABLE | \
-		PMD_SECT_CACHEABLE | \
 		PMD_SECT_AP_WRITE | \
-		PMD_SECT_AP_READ
+		PMD_SECT_AP_READ | \
+		PMD_FLAGS
 	.long   PMD_TYPE_SECT | \
 		PMD_SECT_XN | \
 		PMD_SECT_AP_WRITE | \
diff --git a/arch/arm/mm/proc-v7.S b/arch/arm/mm/proc-v7.S
index 23ebcf6eab9f..eeeed01ee44a 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mm/proc-v7.S
+++ b/arch/arm/mm/proc-v7.S
@@ -33,9 +33,11 @@
 #ifndef CONFIG_SMP
 /* PTWs cacheable, inner WB not shareable, outer WB not shareable */
 #define TTB_FLAGS	TTB_IRGN_WB|TTB_RGN_OC_WB
+#define PMD_FLAGS	PMD_SECT_WB
 #else
 /* PTWs cacheable, inner WBWA shareable, outer WBWA not shareable */
 #define TTB_FLAGS	TTB_IRGN_WBWA|TTB_S|TTB_NOS|TTB_RGN_OC_WBWA
+#define PMD_FLAGS	PMD_SECT_WBWA|PMD_SECT_S
 #endif
 
 ENTRY(cpu_v7_proc_init)
@@ -326,10 +328,9 @@ __v7_proc_info:
 	.long	0x000f0000		@ Required ID value
 	.long	0x000f0000		@ Mask for ID
 	.long   PMD_TYPE_SECT | \
-		PMD_SECT_BUFFERABLE | \
-		PMD_SECT_CACHEABLE | \
 		PMD_SECT_AP_WRITE | \
-		PMD_SECT_AP_READ
+		PMD_SECT_AP_READ | \
+		PMD_FLAGS
 	.long   PMD_TYPE_SECT | \
 		PMD_SECT_XN | \
 		PMD_SECT_AP_WRITE | \