diff --git a/src/runtime/asm_s390x.s b/src/runtime/asm_s390x.s
index 9ed4d91868..d8f529ef90 100644
--- a/src/runtime/asm_s390x.s
+++ b/src/runtime/asm_s390x.s
@@ -7,44 +7,6 @@
 #include "funcdata.h"
 #include "textflag.h"
 
-// Indicate the status of vector facility
-// -1: 	init value
-// 0:	vector not installed
-// 1:	vector installed and enabled
-// 2:	vector installed but not enabled
-
-DATA runtime·vectorfacility+0x00(SB)/4, $-1
-GLOBL runtime·vectorfacility(SB), NOPTR, $4
-
-TEXT runtime·checkvectorfacility(SB),NOSPLIT,$32-0
-	MOVD    $2, R0
-	MOVD	R1, tmp-32(SP)
-	MOVD    $x-24(SP), R1
-	XC	$24, 0(R1), 0(R1)
-//      STFLE   0(R1)
-	WORD    $0xB2B01000
-	MOVBZ   z-8(SP), R1
-	AND     $0x40, R1
-	BNE     vectorinstalled
-	MOVB    $0, runtime·vectorfacility(SB) //Vector not installed
-	MOVD	tmp-32(SP), R1
-	MOVD    $0, R0
-	RET
-vectorinstalled:
-	// check if the vector instruction has been enabled
-	VLEIB   $0, $0xF, V16
-	VLGVB   $0, V16, R0
-	CMPBEQ  R0, $0xF, vectorenabled
-	MOVB    $2, runtime·vectorfacility(SB) //Vector installed but not enabled
-	MOVD    tmp-32(SP), R1
-	MOVD    $0, R0
-	RET
-vectorenabled:
-	MOVB    $1, runtime·vectorfacility(SB) //Vector installed and enabled
-	MOVD    tmp-32(SP), R1
-	MOVD    $0, R0
-	RET
-
 TEXT runtime·rt0_go(SB),NOSPLIT,$0
 	// R2 = argc; R3 = argv; R11 = temp; R13 = g; R15 = stack pointer
 	// C TLS base pointer in AR0:AR1
@@ -888,14 +850,14 @@ TEXT runtime·fastrand(SB), NOSPLIT, $0-4
 	MOVW	R3, ret+0(FP)
 	RET
 
-TEXT bytes·IndexByte(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-40
+TEXT bytes·IndexByte(SB),NOSPLIT|NOFRAME,$0-40
 	MOVD	s+0(FP), R3     // s => R3
 	MOVD	s_len+8(FP), R4 // s_len => R4
 	MOVBZ	c+24(FP), R5    // c => R5
 	MOVD	$ret+32(FP), R2 // &ret => R9
 	BR	runtime·indexbytebody(SB)
 
-TEXT strings·IndexByte(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-32
+TEXT strings·IndexByte(SB),NOSPLIT|NOFRAME,$0-32
 	MOVD	s+0(FP), R3     // s => R3
 	MOVD	s_len+8(FP), R4 // s_len => R4
 	MOVBZ	c+16(FP), R5    // c => R5
@@ -907,7 +869,7 @@ TEXT strings·IndexByte(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-32
 // R4: s_len
 // R5: c -- byte sought
 // R2: &ret -- address to put index into
-TEXT runtime·indexbytebody(SB),NOSPLIT,$0
+TEXT runtime·indexbytebody(SB),NOSPLIT|NOFRAME,$0
 	CMPBEQ	R4, $0, notfound
 	MOVD	R3, R6          // store base for later
 	ADD	R3, R4, R8      // the address after the end of the string
@@ -931,12 +893,10 @@ notfound:
 	RET
 
 large:
-	MOVB	runtime·vectorfacility(SB), R1
-	CMPBEQ	R1, $-1, checkvector	// vectorfacility = -1, vector not checked yet
-vectorchecked:
-	CMPBEQ	R1, $1, vectorimpl      // vectorfacility = 1, vector supported
+	MOVBZ	·cpu+facilities_hasVX(SB), R1
+	CMPBNE	R1, $0, vectorimpl
 
-srstimpl:                       // vectorfacility != 1, not support or enable vector
+srstimpl:                       // no vector facility
 	MOVBZ	R5, R0          // c needs to be in R0, leave until last minute as currently R0 is expected to be 0
 srstloop:
 	WORD	$0xB25E0083     // srst %r8, %r3 (search the range [R3, R8))
@@ -989,11 +949,6 @@ notalignedloop:
 	CMPBNE	R7, R5, notalignedloop
 	BR	found
 
-checkvector:
-	CALL	runtime·checkvectorfacility(SB)
-	MOVB    runtime·vectorfacility(SB), R1
-	BR	vectorchecked
-
 TEXT runtime·return0(SB), NOSPLIT, $0
 	MOVW	$0, R3
 	RET
diff --git a/src/runtime/os_linux.go b/src/runtime/os_linux.go
index 1adabe1a42..4fae7aafcb 100644
--- a/src/runtime/os_linux.go
+++ b/src/runtime/os_linux.go
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ var failthreadcreate = []byte("runtime: failed to create new OS thread\n")
 const (
 	_AT_NULL   = 0  // End of vector
 	_AT_PAGESZ = 6  // System physical page size
+	_AT_HWCAP  = 16 // hardware capability bit vector
 	_AT_RANDOM = 25 // introduced in 2.6.29
 )
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/os_linux_arm.go b/src/runtime/os_linux_arm.go
index d7d734bc7f..2b0834a5aa 100644
--- a/src/runtime/os_linux_arm.go
+++ b/src/runtime/os_linux_arm.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import "unsafe"
 
 const (
 	_AT_PLATFORM = 15 //  introduced in at least 2.6.11
-	_AT_HWCAP    = 16 // introduced in at least 2.6.11
 
 	_HWCAP_VFP   = 1 << 6  // introduced in at least 2.6.11
 	_HWCAP_VFPv3 = 1 << 13 // introduced in 2.6.30
diff --git a/src/runtime/os_linux_noauxv.go b/src/runtime/os_linux_noauxv.go
index 22522dd803..8f26589e0b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/os_linux_noauxv.go
+++ b/src/runtime/os_linux_noauxv.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-// +build !amd64,!arm,!arm64,!mips64,!mips64le
+// +build !amd64,!arm,!arm64,!mips64,!mips64le,!s390x
 
 package runtime
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/os_linux_s390x.go b/src/runtime/os_linux_s390x.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ca6d4c8c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/os_linux_s390x.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package runtime
+
+import (
+	"runtime/internal/sys"
+)
+
+const (
+	// bit masks taken from bits/hwcap.h
+	_HWCAP_S390_VX = 2048 // vector facility
+)
+
+// facilities is padded to avoid false sharing.
+type facilities struct {
+	_     [sys.CacheLineSize]byte
+	hasVX bool // vector facility
+	_     [sys.CacheLineSize]byte
+}
+
+// cpu indicates the availability of s390x facilities that can be used in
+// Go assembly but are optional on models supported by Go.
+var cpu facilities
+
+func archauxv(tag, val uintptr) {
+	switch tag {
+	case _AT_HWCAP: // CPU capability bit flags
+		cpu.hasVX = val&_HWCAP_S390_VX != 0
+	}
+}