diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index a8933eb..4569f13 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -124,8 +124,9 @@ IBM POWER
 M: Chao Zhu <chaozhu@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
 F: lib/librte_eal/common/include/arch/ppc_64/
 
-ARM v7
+ARM
 M: Jan Viktorin <viktorin@rehivetech.com>
+M: David Hunt <david.hunt@intel.com>
 F: lib/librte_eal/common/include/arch/arm/
 
 Intel x86
diff --git a/config/defconfig_arm64-armv8a-linuxapp-gcc b/config/defconfig_arm64-armv8a-linuxapp-gcc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79a9533
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/defconfig_arm64-armv8a-linuxapp-gcc
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#   BSD LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+#   All rights reserved.
+#
+#   Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+#   modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+#   are met:
+#
+#     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+#     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
+#       the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+#       distribution.
+#     * Neither the name of Intel Corporation nor the names of its
+#       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
+#       from this software without specific prior written permission.
+#
+#   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+#   "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+#   LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+#   A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+#   OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+#   SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+#   LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+#   DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+#   THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+#   (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+#   OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+#
+
+#include "common_linuxapp"
+
+CONFIG_RTE_MACHINE="armv8a"
+
+CONFIG_RTE_ARCH="arm64"
+CONFIG_RTE_ARCH_ARM64=y
+CONFIG_RTE_ARCH_64=y
+CONFIG_RTE_ARCH_ARM_NEON=y
+
+CONFIG_RTE_TOOLCHAIN="gcc"
+CONFIG_RTE_TOOLCHAIN_GCC=y
+
+CONFIG_RTE_IXGBE_INC_VECTOR=n
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_VIRTIO_PMD=n
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_IVSHMEM=n
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_EAL_HOTPLUG=n
+
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_LPM=n
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_ACL=n
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_TABLE=n
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PIPELINE=n
+
+# This is used to adjust the generic arm timer to align with the cpu cycle count.
+CONFIG_RTE_TIMER_MULTIPLIER=48
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_2_2.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_2_2.rst
index 43a3a3c..2b806f5 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_2_2.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_2_2.rst
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ New Features
 
 * **Added vhost-user multiple queue support.**
 
-* **Introduce ARMv7 architecture**
+* **Introduce ARMv7 and ARMv8 architectures**
 
-  It is now possible to build DPDK for the ARMv7 platform and test with
-  virtual PMD drivers.
+  * It is now possible to build DPDK for the ARMv7 and ARMv8 platforms.
+  * ARMv7 can be tested with virtual PMD drivers.
+  * ARMv8 can be tested with virtual and physicla PMD drivers.
 
 
 Resolved Issues
diff --git a/mk/arch/arm64/rte.vars.mk b/mk/arch/arm64/rte.vars.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3aad712
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mk/arch/arm64/rte.vars.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#   BSD LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright(c) 2015 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+#
+#   Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+#   modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+#   are met:
+#
+#     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+#     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
+#       the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+#       distribution.
+#     * Neither the name of Intel Corporation nor the names of its
+#       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
+#       from this software without specific prior written permission.
+#
+#   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+#   "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+#   LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+#   A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+#   OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+#   SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+#   LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+#   DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+#   THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+#   (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+#   OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+#
+# arch:
+#
+#   - define ARCH variable (overridden by cmdline or by previous
+#     optional define in machine .mk)
+#   - define CROSS variable (overridden by cmdline or previous define
+#     in machine .mk)
+#   - define CPU_CFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline or previous
+#     define in machine .mk)
+#   - define CPU_LDFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline or previous
+#     define in machine .mk)
+#   - define CPU_ASFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline or previous
+#     define in machine .mk)
+#   - may override any previously defined variable
+#
+# examples for CONFIG_RTE_ARCH: i686, x86_64, x86_64_32
+#
+
+ARCH  ?= arm64
+# common arch dir in eal headers
+ARCH_DIR := arm
+CROSS ?=
+
+CPU_CFLAGS  ?= -DRTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE=64
+CPU_LDFLAGS ?=
+CPU_ASFLAGS ?= -felf
+
+export ARCH CROSS CPU_CFLAGS CPU_LDFLAGS CPU_ASFLAGS
diff --git a/mk/machine/armv8a/rte.vars.mk b/mk/machine/armv8a/rte.vars.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b785062
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mk/machine/armv8a/rte.vars.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#   BSD LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright(c) 2015 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+#
+#   Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+#   modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+#   are met:
+#
+#     * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+#     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+#       notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
+#       the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+#       distribution.
+#     * Neither the name of Intel Corporation nor the names of its
+#       contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
+#       from this software without specific prior written permission.
+#
+#   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+#   "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+#   LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+#   A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+#   OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+#   SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+#   LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+#   DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+#   THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+#   (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+#   OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+#
+# machine:
+#
+#   - can define ARCH variable (overridden by cmdline value)
+#   - can define CROSS variable (overridden by cmdline value)
+#   - define MACHINE_CFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline value)
+#   - define MACHINE_LDFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline value)
+#   - define MACHINE_ASFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline value)
+#   - can define CPU_CFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline value) that
+#     overrides the one defined in arch.
+#   - can define CPU_LDFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline value) that
+#     overrides the one defined in arch.
+#   - can define CPU_ASFLAGS variable (overridden by cmdline value) that
+#     overrides the one defined in arch.
+#   - may override any previously defined variable
+#
+
+# ARCH =
+# CROSS =
+# MACHINE_CFLAGS =
+# MACHINE_LDFLAGS =
+# MACHINE_ASFLAGS =
+# CPU_CFLAGS =
+# CPU_LDFLAGS =
+# CPU_ASFLAGS =
+
+MACHINE_CFLAGS += -march=armv8-a
