diff --git a/arch/s390/include/asm/lowcore.h b/arch/s390/include/asm/lowcore.h
index 3aeca492b147..713fe9fb1fcc 100644
--- a/arch/s390/include/asm/lowcore.h
+++ b/arch/s390/include/asm/lowcore.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define __LC_SUBCHANNEL_NR		0x00ba
 #define __LC_IO_INT_PARM		0x00bc
 #define __LC_IO_INT_WORD		0x00c0
+#define __LC_STFL_FAC_LIST		0x00c8
 #define __LC_MCCK_CODE			0x00e8
 
 #define __LC_DUMP_REIPL			0x0e00
diff --git a/arch/s390/kernel/head.S b/arch/s390/kernel/head.S
index 22596d70fc2e..bf8cf1caeffc 100644
--- a/arch/s390/kernel/head.S
+++ b/arch/s390/kernel/head.S
@@ -479,27 +479,46 @@ startup:basr	%r13,0			# get base
 	mvc	__LC_LAST_UPDATE_TIMER(8),6f-.LPG0(%r13)
 	mvc	__LC_EXIT_TIMER(8),5f-.LPG0(%r13)
 #ifndef CONFIG_MARCH_G5
-	# check processor version against MARCH_{G5,Z900,Z990,Z9_109,Z10}
-	stidp	__LC_CPUID		# store cpuid
-	lhi	%r0,(3f-2f) / 2
-	la	%r1,2f-.LPG0(%r13)
-0:	clc	__LC_CPUID+4(2),0(%r1)
-	jne	3f
-	lpsw	1f-.LPG0(13)		# machine type not good enough, crash
+	# check capabilities against MARCH_{G5,Z900,Z990,Z9_109,Z10}
+	xc	__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST(8),__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST
+	stfl	__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST	# store facility list
+	tm	__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST,0x01	# stfle available ?
+	jz	0f
+	la	%r0,0
+	.insn	s,0xb2b00000,__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST	# store facility list extended
+0:	l	%r0,__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST
+	n	%r0,2f+8-.LPG0(%r13)
+	cl	%r0,2f+8-.LPG0(%r13)
+	jne	1f
+	l	%r0,__LC_STFL_FAC_LIST+4
+	n	%r0,2f+12-.LPG0(%r13)
+	cl	%r0,2f+12-.LPG0(%r13)
+	je	3f
+1:	lpsw	2f-.LPG0(13)		# machine type not good enough, crash
 	.align 16
-1:	.long	0x000a0000,0x00000000
-2:
+2:	.long	0x000a0000,0x8badcccc
+#if defined(CONFIG_64BIT)
 #if defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z10)
-	.short 0x9672, 0x2064, 0x2066, 0x2084, 0x2086, 0x2094, 0x2096
+	.long 0xc100efe3, 0xf0680000
 #elif defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z9_109)
-	.short 0x9672, 0x2064, 0x2066, 0x2084, 0x2086
+	.long 0xc100efc3, 0x00000000
 #elif defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z990)
-	.short 0x9672, 0x2064, 0x2066
+	.long 0xc0002000, 0x00000000
 #elif defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z900)
-	.short 0x9672
+	.long 0xc0000000, 0x00000000
 #endif
-3:	la	%r1,2(%r1)
-	brct	%r0,0b
+#else
+#if defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z10)
+	.long 0x8100c880, 0x00000000
+#elif defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z9_109)
+	.long 0x8100c880, 0x00000000
+#elif defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z990)
+	.long 0x80002000, 0x00000000
+#elif defined(CONFIG_MARCH_Z900)
+	.long 0x80000000, 0x00000000
+#endif
+#endif
+3:
 #endif
 
 	l	%r13,4f-.LPG0(%r13)