diff --git a/gcc/ChangeLog b/gcc/ChangeLog
index 963f022550f..5a19b605205 100644
--- a/gcc/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2016-11-23  James Greenhalgh  <james.greenhalgh@arm.com>
+
+	* targhooks.c (default_floatn_mode): Enable _Float16 if a target
+	provides HFmode.
+
 2016-11-23  James Greenhalgh  <james.greenhalgh@arm.com>
 
 	* config/s390/s390.h (TARGET_FLT_EVAL_METHOD): Delete.
diff --git a/gcc/targhooks.c b/gcc/targhooks.c
index 73e1c2584ae..a80b3017299 100644
--- a/gcc/targhooks.c
+++ b/gcc/targhooks.c
@@ -514,10 +514,12 @@ default_floatn_mode (int n, bool extended)
       switch (n)
 	{
 	case 16:
-	  /* We do not use HFmode for _Float16 by default because the
-	     required excess precision support is not present and the
-	     interactions with promotion of the older __fp16 need to
-	     be worked out.  */
+	  /* Always enable _Float16 if we have basic support for the mode.
+	     Targets can control the range and precision of operations on
+	     the _Float16 type using TARGET_C_EXCESS_PRECISION.  */
+#ifdef HAVE_HFmode
+	  cand = HFmode;
+#endif
 	  break;
 
 	case 32: