diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cputable.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cputable.h
index 40a4d3c6fd99..c67b94f3334c 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cputable.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cputable.h
@@ -614,7 +614,11 @@ enum {
 };
 #endif /* __powerpc64__ */
 
-#define HBP_NUM 1
+/*
+ * Maximum number of hw breakpoint supported on powerpc. Number of
+ * breakpoints supported by actual hw might be less than this.
+ */
+#define HBP_NUM_MAX	1
 
 #endif /* !__ASSEMBLY__ */
 
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/hw_breakpoint.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/hw_breakpoint.h
index f2f8d8aa8e3b..518b41eef924 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/hw_breakpoint.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/hw_breakpoint.h
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ struct arch_hw_breakpoint {
 #define DABR_MAX_LEN	8
 #define DAWR_MAX_LEN	512
 
+static inline int nr_wp_slots(void)
+{
+	return HBP_NUM_MAX;
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_HAVE_HW_BREAKPOINT
 #include <linux/kdebug.h>
 #include <asm/reg.h>
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/processor.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/processor.h
index 5ab202055d5a..f209c5703ee2 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/processor.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/processor.h
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ struct thread_struct {
 	int		fpexc_mode;	/* floating-point exception mode */
 	unsigned int	align_ctl;	/* alignment handling control */
 #ifdef CONFIG_HAVE_HW_BREAKPOINT
-	struct perf_event *ptrace_bps[HBP_NUM];
+	struct perf_event *ptrace_bps[HBP_NUM_MAX];
 	/*
 	 * Helps identify source of single-step exception and subsequent
 	 * hw-breakpoint enablement
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
index 423603c92c0f..01f07d91df70 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct perf_event *, bp_per_reg);
 int hw_breakpoint_slots(int type)
 {
 	if (type == TYPE_DATA)
-		return HBP_NUM;
+		return nr_wp_slots();
 	return 0;		/* no instruction breakpoints available */
 }