diff --git a/core/combo/arch/arm/armv7-a-neon.mk b/core/combo/arch/arm/armv7-a-neon.mk
index 5d5b05009..5517a79a1 100644
--- a/core/combo/arch/arm/armv7-a-neon.mk
+++ b/core/combo/arch/arm/armv7-a-neon.mk
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ ifneq (,$(filter cortex-a7 cortex-a53 cortex-a53.a57,$(TARGET_$(combo_2nd_arch_p
 	local_arch_has_lpae := true
 	arch_variant_ldflags := \
 		-Wl,--no-fix-cortex-a8
+else
+ifeq ($(strip $(TARGET_$(combo_2nd_arch_prefix)CPU_VARIANT)),cortex-a9)
+	arch_variant_cflags := -march=armv7-a
+	arch_variant_ldflags := \
+		-Wl,--no-fix-cortex-a8
 else
 	arch_variant_cflags := -march=armv7-a
 	# Generic ARM might be a Cortex A8 -- better safe than sorry
@@ -38,6 +43,7 @@ else
 endif
 endif
 endif
+endif
 
 ifeq (true,$(local_arch_has_lpae))
 	# Fake an ARM compiler flag as these processors support LPAE which GCC/clang