diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cache.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cache.h
index c1d257aa4c2d..66298461b640 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cache.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/cache.h
@@ -9,11 +9,14 @@
 #if defined(CONFIG_PPC_8xx) || defined(CONFIG_403GCX)
 #define L1_CACHE_SHIFT		4
 #define MAX_COPY_PREFETCH	1
+#define IFETCH_ALIGN_SHIFT	2
 #elif defined(CONFIG_PPC_E500MC)
 #define L1_CACHE_SHIFT		6
 #define MAX_COPY_PREFETCH	4
+#define IFETCH_ALIGN_SHIFT	3
 #elif defined(CONFIG_PPC32)
 #define MAX_COPY_PREFETCH	4
+#define IFETCH_ALIGN_SHIFT	3	/* 603 fetches 2 insn at a time */
 #if defined(CONFIG_PPC_47x)
 #define L1_CACHE_SHIFT		7
 #else
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/lib/string.S b/arch/powerpc/lib/string.S
index a787776822d8..0378def28d41 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/lib/string.S
+++ b/arch/powerpc/lib/string.S
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <asm/errno.h>
 #include <asm/ppc_asm.h>
 #include <asm/export.h>
+#include <asm/cache.h>
 
 	.text
 	
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ _GLOBAL(strncpy)
 	mtctr	r5
 	addi	r6,r3,-1
 	addi	r4,r4,-1
-	.balign 16
+	.balign IFETCH_ALIGN_BYTES
 1:	lbzu	r0,1(r4)
 	cmpwi	0,r0,0
 	stbu	r0,1(r6)
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ _GLOBAL(strncmp)
 	mtctr	r5
 	addi	r5,r3,-1
 	addi	r4,r4,-1
-	.balign 16
+	.balign IFETCH_ALIGN_BYTES
 1:	lbzu	r3,1(r5)
 	cmpwi	1,r3,0
 	lbzu	r0,1(r4)
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ _GLOBAL(memchr)
 	beq-	2f
 	mtctr	r5
 	addi	r3,r3,-1
-	.balign 16
+	.balign IFETCH_ALIGN_BYTES
 1:	lbzu	r0,1(r3)
 	cmpw	0,r0,r4
 	bdnzf	2,1b