diff --git a/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARM.td b/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARM.td
index bbb1dbdc9a4a..50d54b436e07 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARM.td
+++ b/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARM.td
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ def FeatureThumb2 : SubtargetFeature<"thumb2", "ThumbMode", "Thumb2",
 def FeatureFP16   : SubtargetFeature<"fp16", "HasFP16", "true",
                                      "Enable half-precision floating point">;
 
+// Some processors have multiply-accumulate instructions that don't
+// play nicely with other VFP instructions, and it's generally better
+// to just not use them.
+// FIXME: Currently, this is only flagged for Cortex-A8. It may be true for
+// others as well. We should do more benchmarking and confirm one way or
+// the other.
+def HasSlowVMLx   : SubtargetFeature<"vmlx", "SlowVMLx", "true",
+                                     "Disable VFP MAC instructions">;
+
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 // ARM Processors supported.
 //
@@ -106,7 +115,7 @@ def : Processor<"arm1156t2f-s",    ARMV6Itineraries,
 
 // V7 Processors.
 def : Processor<"cortex-a8",        CortexA8Itineraries,
-                [ArchV7A, FeatureThumb2, FeatureNEON]>;
+                [ArchV7A, FeatureThumb2, FeatureNEON, HasSlowVMLx]>;
 def : ProcNoItin<"cortex-a9",       [ArchV7A, FeatureThumb2, FeatureNEON]>;
 
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.cpp b/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.cpp
index 8df59e4789e3..76ed66fe7df4 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.cpp
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@ static cl::opt<bool>
 UseNEONFP("arm-use-neon-fp",
           cl::desc("Use NEON for single-precision FP"),
           cl::init(false), cl::Hidden);
-static cl::opt<bool>
-UseVMLxInstructions("arm-use-vmlx",
-                    cl::desc("Use VFP vmla and vmls instructions"),
-                    cl::init(true), cl::Hidden);
 
 static cl::opt<bool>
 UseMOVT("arm-use-movt",
@@ -40,7 +36,7 @@ ARMSubtarget::ARMSubtarget(const std::string &TT, const std::string &FS,
   : ARMArchVersion(V4)
   , ARMFPUType(None)
   , UseNEONForSinglePrecisionFP(UseNEONFP)
-  , UseVMLx(UseVMLxInstructions)
+  , SlowVMLx(false)
   , IsThumb(isT)
   , ThumbMode(Thumb1)
   , PostRAScheduler(false)
@@ -127,12 +123,6 @@ ARMSubtarget::ARMSubtarget(const std::string &TT, const std::string &FS,
     // operations with NEON instructions.
     if (UseNEONFP.getPosition() == 0)
       UseNEONForSinglePrecisionFP = true;
-    // The VFP vlma and vlms instructions don't play nicely with others;
-    // disable them.
-    // FIXME: This may be true for other variants as well. Get benchmark
-    // numbers and add them if determined that's the case.
-    if (UseVMLxInstructions.getPosition() == 0)
-      UseVMLx = false;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.h b/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.h
index 686684cab811..fa56a9195bc2 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.h
+++ b/llvm/lib/Target/ARM/ARMSubtarget.h
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ protected:
   /// determine if NEON should actually be used.
   bool UseNEONForSinglePrecisionFP;
 
-  /// UseVMLx - If the VFP2 instructions are available, indicates whether
-  /// the VML[AS] instructions should be used.
-  bool UseVMLx;
+  /// SlowVMLx - If the VFP2 instructions are available, indicates whether
+  /// the VML[AS] instructions are slow (if so, don't use them).
+  bool SlowVMLx;
 
   /// IsThumb - True if we are in thumb mode, false if in ARM mode.
   bool IsThumb;
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ protected:
   bool hasNEON() const { return ARMFPUType >= NEON;  }
   bool useNEONForSinglePrecisionFP() const {
     return hasNEON() && UseNEONForSinglePrecisionFP; }
-  bool useVMLx() const {return hasVFP2() && UseVMLx; }
+  bool useVMLx() const {return hasVFP2() && !SlowVMLx; }
 
   bool hasFP16() const { return HasFP16; }