diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 5a958a3441e..2b8f4272dc4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -18626,6 +18626,71 @@ _ACEOF
 fi
 
 
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for builtin locking functions" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for builtin locking functions... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+int
+main ()
+{
+int lock = 0;
+   __sync_lock_test_and_set(&lock, 1);
+   __sync_lock_release(&lock);
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
+if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_link\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_link) 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag"
+			 || test ! -s conftest.err'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -s conftest$ac_exeext'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; }; then
+  pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics="yes"
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics="no"
+fi
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+fi
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics" >&6
+if test x"$pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics" = x"yes"; then
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_GCC_INT_ATOMICS 1
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
+
+
 #
 # Pthreads
 #
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 9414a8fc5ba..c067aabc4d3 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1190,6 +1190,18 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(atexit, [],
 
 AC_FUNC_FSEEKO
 
+AC_CACHE_CHECK([for builtin locking functions], pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics,
+[AC_TRY_LINK([],
+  [int lock = 0;
+   __sync_lock_test_and_set(&lock, 1);
+   __sync_lock_release(&lock);],
+  [pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics="yes"],
+  [pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics="no"])])
+if test x"$pgac_cv_gcc_int_atomics" = x"yes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_GCC_INT_ATOMICS, 1, [Define to 1 if you have __sync_lock_test_and_set(int *) and friends.])
+fi
+
+
 #
 # Pthreads
 #
diff --git a/src/include/pg_config.h.in b/src/include/pg_config.h.in
index e3a6c9982ad..f537360ee5d 100644
--- a/src/include/pg_config.h.in
+++ b/src/include/pg_config.h.in
@@ -148,6 +148,9 @@
 /* Define to 1 if your compiler understands __FUNCTION__. */
 #undef HAVE_FUNCNAME__FUNCTION
 
+/* Define to 1 if you have __sync_lock_test_and_set(int *) and friends. */
+#undef HAVE_GCC_INT_ATOMICS
+
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `getaddrinfo' function. */
 #undef HAVE_GETADDRINFO
 
diff --git a/src/include/storage/s_lock.h b/src/include/storage/s_lock.h
index 7d9448fb7e4..a3c15d4ffc8 100644
--- a/src/include/storage/s_lock.h
+++ b/src/include/storage/s_lock.h
@@ -252,13 +252,33 @@ tas(volatile slock_t *lock)
 #endif	 /* __ia64__ || __ia64 */
 
 
+/*
+ * On ARM, we use __sync_lock_test_and_set(int *, int) if available, and if
+ * not fall back on the SWPB instruction.  SWPB does not work on ARMv6 or
+ * later, so the compiler builtin is preferred if available.  Note also that
+ * the int-width variant of the builtin works on more chips than other widths.
+ */
 #if defined(__arm__) || defined(__arm)
 #define HAS_TEST_AND_SET
 
-typedef unsigned char slock_t;
-
 #define TAS(lock) tas(lock)
 
+#ifdef HAVE_GCC_INT_ATOMICS
+
+typedef int slock_t;
+
+static __inline__ int
+tas(volatile slock_t *lock)
+{
+	return __sync_lock_test_and_set(lock, 1);
+}
+
+#define S_UNLOCK(lock) __sync_lock_release(lock)
+
+#else /* !HAVE_GCC_INT_ATOMICS */
+
+typedef unsigned char slock_t;
+
 static __inline__ int
 tas(volatile slock_t *lock)
 {
@@ -272,6 +292,7 @@ tas(volatile slock_t *lock)
 	return (int) _res;
 }
 
+#endif	 /* HAVE_GCC_INT_ATOMICS */
 #endif	 /* __arm__ */