diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index b4b9851b9cd..661cc0ecfb0 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -281,6 +281,9 @@ Extension Modules
 Build
 -----
 
+- Issue #6980: Fix ctypes build failure on armel-linux-gnueabi with
+  -mfloat-abi=softfp.
+
 - Issue #6802: Fix build issues on MacOSX 10.6
 
 - Issue 5390: Add uninstall icon independent of whether file
diff --git a/Modules/_ctypes/libffi/src/arm/sysv.S b/Modules/_ctypes/libffi/src/arm/sysv.S
index 34481c8c46c..4c289c697c7 100644
--- a/Modules/_ctypes/libffi/src/arm/sysv.S
+++ b/Modules/_ctypes/libffi/src/arm/sysv.S
@@ -67,11 +67,18 @@
 
 #if defined(__ARM_ARCH_6__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6J__) \
         || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6K__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6Z__) \
-        || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6ZK__)
+        || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6ZK__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_6T2__) \
+	|| defined(__ARM_ARCH_6M__)
 # undef __ARM_ARCH__
 # define __ARM_ARCH__ 6
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__ARM_ARCH_7__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_7A__) \
+        || defined(__ARM_ARCH_7R__) || defined(__ARM_ARCH_7M__)
+# undef __ARM_ARCH__
+# define __ARM_ARCH__ 7
+#endif
+
 #if __ARM_ARCH__ >= 5
 # define call_reg(x)	blx	x
 #elif defined (__ARM_ARCH_4T__)
@@ -189,7 +196,7 @@ ARM_FUNC_START ffi_call_SYSV
 
 @ return INT
 	cmp	r3, #FFI_TYPE_INT
-#ifdef __SOFTFP__
+#if defined(__SOFTFP__) || defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 	cmpne	r3, #FFI_TYPE_FLOAT
 #endif
 	streq	r0, [r2]
@@ -197,12 +204,12 @@ ARM_FUNC_START ffi_call_SYSV
 
 	@ return INT64
 	cmp	r3, #FFI_TYPE_SINT64
-#ifdef __SOFTFP__
+#if defined(__SOFTFP__) || defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 	cmpne	r3, #FFI_TYPE_DOUBLE
 #endif
 	stmeqia	r2, {r0, r1}
 
-#ifndef __SOFTFP__
+#if !defined(__SOFTFP__) && !defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 	beq	LSYM(Lepilogue)
 
 @ return FLOAT
@@ -245,21 +252,21 @@ ARM_FUNC_START ffi_closure_SYSV
 	beq	.Lretint
 
 	cmp	r0, #FFI_TYPE_FLOAT
-#ifdef __SOFTFP__
+#if defined(__SOFTFP__) || defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 	beq	.Lretint
 #else
 	beq	.Lretfloat
 #endif
 
 	cmp	r0, #FFI_TYPE_DOUBLE
-#ifdef __SOFTFP__
+#if defined(__SOFTFP__) || defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 	beq	.Lretlonglong
 #else
 	beq	.Lretdouble
 #endif
 
 	cmp	r0, #FFI_TYPE_LONGDOUBLE
-#ifdef __SOFTFP__
+#if defined(__SOFTFP__) || defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 	beq	.Lretlonglong
 #else
 	beq	.Lretlongdouble
@@ -278,7 +285,7 @@ ARM_FUNC_START ffi_closure_SYSV
 	ldr	r1, [sp, #4]
 	b	.Lclosure_epilogue
 
-#ifndef __SOFTFP__
+#if !defined(__SOFTFP__) && !defined(__ARM_EABI__)
 .Lretfloat:
 	ldfs	f0, [sp]
 	b	.Lclosure_epilogue