diff --git a/config/arm/meson.build b/config/arm/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..250958415
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/arm/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#   BSD LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright(c) 2017 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.
+
+# for checking defines we need to use the correct compiler flags
+march_opt = '-march=@0@'.format(machine)
+
+dpdk_conf.set('RTE_ARCH_ARM', 1)
+if cc.sizeof('void *') == 8
+	dpdk_conf.set('RTE_ARCH_ARM64', 1)
+	dpdk_conf.set('RTE_ARCH_64', 1)
+else
+	dpdk_conf.set('RTE_ARCH_ARMv7', 1)
+endif
+dpdk_conf.set('RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE', 128)
+dpdk_conf.set('RTE_FORCE_INTRINSICS', 1)
diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index d9a8e9f2c..e1cd35da8 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -84,8 +84,10 @@ endforeach
 compile_time_cpuflags = []
 if host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('x86')
 	arch_subdir = 'x86'
-	subdir(arch_subdir)
+elif host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('arm') or host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('aarch')
+	arch_subdir = 'arm'
 endif
+subdir(arch_subdir)
 dpdk_conf.set('RTE_COMPILE_TIME_CPUFLAGS', ','.join(compile_time_cpuflags))
 
 # set the install path for the drivers
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/arch/arm/meson.build b/lib/librte_eal/common/arch/arm/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57158271d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/arch/arm/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#   BSD LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright(c) 2017 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.
+
+eal_common_arch_sources = files('rte_cpuflags.c',
+	'rte_cycles.c')
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/arch/arm/meson.build b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/arch/arm/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c5d399bf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/arch/arm/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#   BSD LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright(c) 2017 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.
+
+install_headers(
+	'rte_atomic_32.h',
+	'rte_atomic_64.h',
+	'rte_atomic.h',
+	'rte_byteorder.h',
+	'rte_cpuflags_32.h',
+	'rte_cpuflags_64.h',
+	'rte_cpuflags.h',
+	'rte_cycles_32.h',
+	'rte_cycles_64.h',
+	'rte_cycles.h',
+	'rte_io_64.h',
+	'rte_io.h',
+	'rte_memcpy_32.h',
+	'rte_memcpy_64.h',
+	'rte_memcpy.h',
+	'rte_pause_32.h',
+	'rte_pause_64.h',
+	'rte_pause.h',
+	'rte_prefetch_32.h',
+	'rte_prefetch_64.h',
+	'rte_prefetch.h',
+	'rte_rwlock.h',
+	'rte_spinlock.h',
+	'rte_vect.h',
+	subdir: get_option('include_subdir_arch'))
