diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 4cc936db04d..8b505df0130 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ Extension Modules
 
 - Fix libffi configure for hppa*-*-linux* | parisc*-*-linux*.
 
+- Build using system ffi library on arm*-linux*.
+
+
 Documentation
 -------------
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index de18c532daa..5e80d43edb7 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #! /bin/sh
-# From configure.in Revision: 56635 .
+# From configure.in Revision: 57905 .
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
 # Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61 for python 2.5.
 #
@@ -12290,6 +12290,138 @@ fi
 
 
 # Check for use of the system libffi library
+if test "${ac_cv_header_ffi_h+set}" = set; then
+  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for ffi.h" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for ffi.h... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_header_ffi_h+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+fi
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_header_ffi_h" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_header_ffi_h" >&6; }
+else
+  # Is the header compilable?
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking ffi.h usability" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking ffi.h usability... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+$ac_includes_default
+#include <ffi.h>
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext
+if { (ac_try="$ac_compile"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_compile") 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 $ac_status); } && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       } && test -s conftest.$ac_objext; then
+  ac_header_compiler=yes
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+	ac_header_compiler=no
+fi
+
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_header_compiler" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_header_compiler" >&6; }
+
+# Is the header present?
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking ffi.h presence" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking ffi.h presence... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#include <ffi.h>
+_ACEOF
+if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       }; then
+  ac_header_preproc=yes
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+  ac_header_preproc=no
+fi
+
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_header_preproc" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_header_preproc" >&6; }
+
+# So?  What about this header?
+case $ac_header_compiler:$ac_header_preproc:$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in
+  yes:no: )
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h: accepted by the compiler, rejected by the preprocessor!" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h: accepted by the compiler, rejected by the preprocessor!" >&2;}
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h: proceeding with the compiler's result" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h: proceeding with the compiler's result" >&2;}
+    ac_header_preproc=yes
+    ;;
+  no:yes:* )
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h: present but cannot be compiled" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h: present but cannot be compiled" >&2;}
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h:     check for missing prerequisite headers?" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h:     check for missing prerequisite headers?" >&2;}
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h: see the Autoconf documentation" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h: see the Autoconf documentation" >&2;}
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h:     section \"Present But Cannot Be Compiled\"" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h:     section \"Present But Cannot Be Compiled\"" >&2;}
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h: proceeding with the preprocessor's result" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h: proceeding with the preprocessor's result" >&2;}
+    { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: ffi.h: in the future, the compiler will take precedence" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: ffi.h: in the future, the compiler will take precedence" >&2;}
+    ( cat <<\_ASBOX
+## ------------------------------------------------ ##
+## Report this to http://www.python.org/python-bugs ##
+## ------------------------------------------------ ##
+_ASBOX
+     ) | sed "s/^/$as_me: WARNING:     /" >&2
+    ;;
+esac
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for ffi.h" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for ffi.h... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_header_ffi_h+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  ac_cv_header_ffi_h=$ac_header_preproc
+fi
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_header_ffi_h" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_header_ffi_h" >&6; }
+
+fi
+
+
 { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for --with-system-ffi" >&5
 echo $ECHO_N "checking for --with-system-ffi... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
 
@@ -12299,8 +12431,11 @@ if test "${with_system_ffi+set}" = set; then
 fi
 
 
-if test -z "$with_system_ffi"
-then with_system_ffi="no"
+if test -z "$with_system_ffi" && test "$ac_cv_header_ffi_h" = yes; then
+	case "$ac_sys_system/`uname -m`" in
+	Linux/arm*)  with_system_ffi="yes";;
+	*) with_system_ffi="no"
+	esac
 fi
 { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $with_system_ffi" >&5
 echo "${ECHO_T}$with_system_ffi" >&6; }
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 166810b7db0..35f41f62beb 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1721,12 +1721,16 @@ LIBS="$withval $LIBS"
 [AC_MSG_RESULT(no)])
 
 # Check for use of the system libffi library
+AC_CHECK_HEADER(ffi.h)
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-system-ffi)
 AC_ARG_WITH(system_ffi,
             AC_HELP_STRING(--with-system-ffi, build _ctypes module using an installed ffi library))
 
-if test -z "$with_system_ffi"
-then with_system_ffi="no"
+if test -z "$with_system_ffi" && test "$ac_cv_header_ffi_h" = yes; then
+	case "$ac_sys_system/`uname -m`" in
+	Linux/arm*)  with_system_ffi="yes";;
+	*) with_system_ffi="no"
+	esac
 fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT($with_system_ffi)