diff --git a/arch/metag/include/asm/mach/arch.h b/arch/metag/include/asm/mach/arch.h
index 12c5664fea6e..433f94624fa2 100644
--- a/arch/metag/include/asm/mach/arch.h
+++ b/arch/metag/include/asm/mach/arch.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct machine_desc {
 /*
  * Current machine - only accessible during boot.
  */
-extern struct machine_desc *machine_desc;
+extern const struct machine_desc *machine_desc;
 
 /*
  * Machine type table - also only accessible during boot
diff --git a/arch/metag/include/asm/prom.h b/arch/metag/include/asm/prom.h
index d2aa35d2228e..9f67cbf3dcb7 100644
--- a/arch/metag/include/asm/prom.h
+++ b/arch/metag/include/asm/prom.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include <asm/setup.h>
 #define HAVE_ARCH_DEVTREE_FIXUPS
 
-extern struct machine_desc *setup_machine_fdt(void *dt);
+extern const struct machine_desc *setup_machine_fdt(void *dt);
 extern void copy_fdt(void);
 
 #endif /* __ASM_METAG_PROM_H */
diff --git a/arch/metag/kernel/devtree.c b/arch/metag/kernel/devtree.c
index 68c2fee788c8..18dd7aea9fdc 100644
--- a/arch/metag/kernel/devtree.c
+++ b/arch/metag/kernel/devtree.c
@@ -34,6 +34,19 @@ void * __init early_init_dt_alloc_memory_arch(u64 size, u64 align)
 	return alloc_bootmem_align(size, align);
 }
 
+static const void * __init arch_get_next_mach(const char *const **match)
+{
+	static const struct machine_desc *mdesc = __arch_info_begin;
+	const struct machine_desc *m = mdesc;
+
+	if (m >= __arch_info_end)
+		return NULL;
+
+	mdesc++;
+	*match = m->dt_compat;
+	return m;
+}
+
 /**
  * setup_machine_fdt - Machine setup when an dtb was passed to the kernel
  * @dt:		virtual address pointer to dt blob
@@ -41,53 +54,18 @@ void * __init early_init_dt_alloc_memory_arch(u64 size, u64 align)
  * If a dtb was passed to the kernel, then use it to choose the correct
  * machine_desc and to setup the system.
  */
-struct machine_desc * __init setup_machine_fdt(void *dt)
+const struct machine_desc * __init setup_machine_fdt(void *dt)
 {
-	struct machine_desc *mdesc, *mdesc_best = NULL;
-	unsigned int score, mdesc_score = ~1;
-	unsigned long dt_root;
-	const char *model;
+	const struct machine_desc *mdesc;
 
 	/* check device tree validity */
 	if (!early_init_dt_scan(dt))
 		return NULL;
 
-	/* Search the mdescs for the 'best' compatible value match */
-	dt_root = of_get_flat_dt_root();
-
-	for_each_machine_desc(mdesc) {
-		score = of_flat_dt_match(dt_root, mdesc->dt_compat);
-		if (score > 0 && score < mdesc_score) {
-			mdesc_best = mdesc;
-			mdesc_score = score;
-		}
-	}
-	if (!mdesc_best) {
-		const char *prop;
-		long size;
-
-		pr_err("\nError: unrecognized/unsupported device tree compatible list:\n[ ");
-
-		prop = of_get_flat_dt_prop(dt_root, "compatible", &size);
-		if (prop) {
-			while (size > 0) {
-				printk("'%s' ", prop);
-				size -= strlen(prop) + 1;
-				prop += strlen(prop) + 1;
-			}
-		}
-		printk("]\n\n");
-
+	mdesc = of_flat_dt_match_machine(NULL, arch_get_next_mach);
+	if (!mdesc)
 		dump_machine_table(); /* does not return */
-	}
-
-	model = of_get_flat_dt_prop(dt_root, "model", NULL);
-	if (!model)
-		model = of_get_flat_dt_prop(dt_root, "compatible", NULL);
-	if (!model)
-		model = "<unknown>";
-	pr_info("Machine: %s, model: %s\n", mdesc_best->name, model);
-
-	return mdesc_best;
+	pr_info("Machine name: %s\n", mdesc->name);
 
+	return mdesc;
 }
diff --git a/arch/metag/kernel/setup.c b/arch/metag/kernel/setup.c
index 2c697d343088..92cc119594d3 100644
--- a/arch/metag/kernel/setup.c
+++ b/arch/metag/kernel/setup.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ extern u32 __dtb_start[];
 extern struct console dash_console;
 #endif
 
-struct machine_desc *machine_desc __initdata;
+const struct machine_desc *machine_desc __initdata;
 
 /*
  * Map a Linux CPU number to a hardware thread ID