diff --git a/tests/tcg/arm/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/arm/Makefile.target
index aa4e4e3782..389616cb19 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/arm/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/arm/Makefile.target
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ VPATH 		+= $(ARM_SRC)
 
 ARM_TESTS=hello-arm test-arm-iwmmxt
 
-TESTS += $(ARM_TESTS) fcvt
+TESTS += $(ARM_TESTS) fcvt barrier
 
 hello-arm: CFLAGS+=-marm -ffreestanding
 hello-arm: LDFLAGS+=-nostdlib
@@ -30,3 +30,7 @@ endif
 
 # On ARM Linux only supports 4k pages
 EXTRA_RUNS+=run-test-mmap-4096
+
+# Barrier tests need atomic definitions, steal QEMUs
+barrier: CFLAGS+=-I$(SRC_PATH)/include/qemu
+barrier: LDFLAGS+=-lpthread
diff --git a/tests/tcg/arm/barrier.c b/tests/tcg/arm/barrier.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef47911e36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tcg/arm/barrier.c
@@ -0,0 +1,472 @@
+/*
+ * ARM Barrier Litmus Tests
+ *
+ * This test provides a framework for testing barrier conditions on
+ * the processor. It's simpler than the more involved barrier testing
+ * frameworks as we are looking for simple failures of QEMU's TCG not
+ * weird edge cases the silicon gets wrong.
+ */
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+/*
+ * Memory barriers from atomic.h
+ *
+ * While it would be nice to include atomic.h directly that
+ * complicates the build. However we can assume a modern compilers
+ * with the full set of __atomic C11 primitives.
+ */
+
+#define barrier()          ({ asm volatile("" ::: "memory"); (void)0; })
+#define smp_mb()           ({ barrier(); __atomic_thread_fence(__ATOMIC_SEQ_CST); })
+#define smp_mb_release()   ({ barrier(); __atomic_thread_fence(__ATOMIC_RELEASE); })
+#define smp_mb_acquire()   ({ barrier(); __atomic_thread_fence(__ATOMIC_ACQUIRE); })
+
+#define smp_wmb()          smp_mb_release()
+#define smp_rmb()          smp_mb_acquire()
+
+#define ARRAY_SIZE(x) (sizeof(x) / sizeof((x)[0]))
+
+#define MAX_THREADS 2
+
+/* Array size and access controls */
+static int array_size = 100000;
+static int wait_if_ahead = 0;
+
+/*
+ * These test_array_* structures are a contiguous array modified by two or more
+ * competing CPUs. The padding is to ensure the variables do not share
+ * cache lines.
+ *
+ * All structures start zeroed.
+ */
+
+typedef struct test_array
+{
+    volatile unsigned int x;
+    uint8_t dummy[64];
+    volatile unsigned int y;
+    uint8_t dummy2[64];
+    volatile unsigned int r[MAX_THREADS];
+} test_array;
+
+/* Test definition structure
+ *
+ * The first function will always run on the primary CPU, it is
+ * usually the one that will detect any weirdness and trigger the
+ * failure of the test.
+ */
+
+typedef int (*test_fn)(void *arg);
+typedef void * (*thread_fn)(void *arg);
+
+typedef struct {
+    char *test_name;
+    bool  should_pass;
+    test_fn main_fn;
+    thread_fn secondary_fn;
+} test_descr_t;
+
+/*
+ * Synchronisation Helpers
+ */
+
+pthread_barrier_t sync_barrier;
+
+static void init_sync_point(void)
+{
+    pthread_barrier_init(&sync_barrier, NULL, 2);
+    smp_mb();
+}
+
+static inline void wait_for_main_thread()
+{
+    pthread_barrier_wait(&sync_barrier);
+}
+
+static inline void wake_up_secondary_thread()
+{
+    pthread_barrier_wait(&sync_barrier);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Litmus tests
+ */
+
+/* Simple Message Passing
+ *
+ * x is the message data
+ * y is the flag to indicate the data is ready
+ *
+ * Reading x == 0 when y == 1 is a failure.
+ */
+
+static void * message_passing_write(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wait_for_main_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        entry->x = 1;
+        entry->y = 1;
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static int message_passing_read(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    int errors = 0, ready = 0;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wake_up_secondary_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int x,y;
+        y = entry->y;
+        x = entry->x;
+
+        if (y && !x)
+            errors++;
+        ready += y;
+    }
+
+    return errors;
+}
+
+/* Simple Message Passing with barriers */
+static void * message_passing_write_barrier(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wait_for_main_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i< array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        entry->x = 1;
+        smp_wmb();
+        entry->y = 1;
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static int message_passing_read_barrier(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    int errors = 0, ready = 0, not_ready = 0;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wake_up_secondary_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int x, y;
+        y = entry->y;
+        smp_rmb();
+        x = entry->x;
+
+        if (y && !x)
+            errors++;
+
+        if (y) {
+            ready++;
+        } else {
+            not_ready++;
+
+            if (not_ready > 2) {
+                entry = &array[i+1];
+                do {
+                    not_ready = 0;
+                } while (wait_if_ahead && !entry->y);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return errors;
+}
+
+/* Simple Message Passing with Acquire/Release */
+static void * message_passing_write_release(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    for (i=0; i< array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        entry->x = 1;
+        __atomic_store_n(&entry->y, 1, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static int message_passing_read_acquire(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    int errors = 0, ready = 0, not_ready = 0;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int x, y;
+        __atomic_load(&entry->y, &y, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+        x = entry->x;
+
+        if (y && !x)
+            errors++;
+
+        if (y) {
+            ready++;
+        } else {
+            not_ready++;
+
+            if (not_ready > 2) {
+                entry = &array[i+1];
+                do {
+                    not_ready = 0;
+                } while (wait_if_ahead && !entry->y);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return errors;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Store after load
+ *
+ * T1: write 1 to x, load r from y
+ * T2: write 1 to y, load r from x
+ *
+ * Without memory fence r[0] && r[1] == 0
+ * With memory fence both == 0 should be impossible
+ */
+
+static int check_store_and_load_results(const char *name, int thread, test_array *array)
+{
+    int i;
+    int neither = 0;
+    int only_first = 0;
+    int only_second = 0;
+    int both = 0;
+
+    for (i=0; i< array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        if (entry->r[0] == 0 &&
+            entry->r[1] == 0) {
+            neither++;
+        } else if (entry->r[0] &&
+            entry->r[1]) {
+            both++;
+        } else if (entry->r[0]) {
+            only_first++;
+        } else {
+            only_second++;
+        }
+    }
+
+    printf("T%d: neither=%d only_t1=%d only_t2=%d both=%d\n", thread,
+           neither, only_first, only_second, both);
+
+    return neither;
+}
+
+/*
+ * This attempts to synchronise the start of both threads to roughly
+ * the same time. On real hardware there is a little latency as the
+ * secondary vCPUs are powered up however this effect it much more
+ * exaggerated on a TCG host.
+ *
+ * Busy waits until the we pass a future point in time, returns final
+ * start time.
+ */
+
+static int store_and_load_1(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wake_up_secondary_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int r;
+        entry->x = 1;
+        r = entry->y;
+        entry->r[0] = r;
+    }
+
+    return check_store_and_load_results("sal", 1, array);
+}
+
+static void * store_and_load_2(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wait_for_main_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int r;
+        entry->y = 1;
+        r = entry->x;
+        entry->r[1] = r;
+    }
+
+    check_store_and_load_results("sal", 2, array);
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static int store_and_load_barrier_1(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wake_up_secondary_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int r;
+        entry->x = 1;
+        smp_mb();
+        r = entry->y;
+        entry->r[0] = r;
+    }
+
+    smp_mb();
+
+    return check_store_and_load_results("sal_barrier", 1, array);
+}
+
+static void * store_and_load_barrier_2(void *arg)
+{
+    int i;
+    test_array *array = (test_array *) arg;
+
+    wait_for_main_thread();
+
+    for (i = 0; i < array_size; i++) {
+        volatile test_array *entry = &array[i];
+        unsigned int r;
+        entry->y = 1;
+        smp_mb();
+        r = entry->x;
+        entry->r[1] = r;
+    }
+
+    check_store_and_load_results("sal_barrier", 2, array);
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+
+/* Test array */
+static test_descr_t tests[] = {
+
+    { "mp",         false,
+      message_passing_read,
+      message_passing_write
+    },
+
+    { "mp_barrier", true,
+      message_passing_read_barrier,
+      message_passing_write_barrier
+    },
+
+    { "mp_acqrel", true,
+      message_passing_read_acquire,
+      message_passing_write_release
+    },
+
+    { "sal",       false,
+      store_and_load_1,
+      store_and_load_2
+    },
+
+    { "sal_barrier", true,
+      store_and_load_barrier_1,
+      store_and_load_barrier_2
+    },
+};
+
+
+int setup_and_run_litmus(test_descr_t *test)
+{
+    pthread_t tid1;
+    int res;
+    test_array *array;
+
+    printf("Running test: %s\n", test->test_name);
+    array = calloc(array_size, sizeof(test_array));
+    printf("Allocated test array @ %p\n", array);
+
+    init_sync_point();
+
+    if (array) {
+        pthread_create(&tid1, NULL, test->secondary_fn, array);
+        res = test->main_fn(array);
+    } else {
+        printf("%s: failed to allocate memory", test->test_name);
+        res = 1;
+    }
+
+    /* ensure secondary thread has finished */
+    pthread_join(tid1, NULL);
+
+    free(array);
+    array = NULL;
+
+    return res;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    int i;
+    int res = 0;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
+        char *arg = argv[i];
+        unsigned int j;
+
+        /* Test modifiers */
+        if (strstr(arg, "count=") != NULL) {
+            char *p = strstr(arg, "=");
+            array_size = atol(p+1);
+            continue;
+        } else if (strcmp (arg, "wait") == 0) {
+            wait_if_ahead = 1;
+            continue;
+        } else if (strcmp(arg, "help") == 0) {
+            printf("Tests: ");
+            for (j = 0; j < ARRAY_SIZE(tests); j++) {
+                printf("%s ", tests[j].test_name);
+            }
+            printf("\n");
+        }
+
+        for (j = 0; j < ARRAY_SIZE(tests); j++) {
+            if (strcmp(arg, tests[j].test_name) == 0) {
+                res += setup_and_run_litmus(&tests[j]);
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return res;
+}
