diff --git a/storage/backend/backend.go b/storage/backend/backend.go
index 155cdac7478a..9183f8dc8337 100644
--- a/storage/backend/backend.go
+++ b/storage/backend/backend.go
@@ -34,11 +34,6 @@ var (
 	defaultBatchInterval = 100 * time.Millisecond
 
 	defragLimit = 10000
-
-	// InitialMmapSize is the initial size of the mmapped region. Setting this larger than
-	// the potential max db size can prevent writer from blocking reader.
-	// This only works for linux.
-	InitialMmapSize = 10 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024
 )
 
 type Backend interface {
diff --git a/storage/backend/boltoption_arm.go b/storage/backend/boltoption_arm.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2fd720e631d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage/backend/boltoption_arm.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// Copyright 2015 CoreOS, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+
+// +build linux,arm
+
+package backend
+
+import (
+	"syscall"
+	"math"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/boltdb/bolt"
+)
+
+var (
+	// InitialMmapSize is the initial size of the mmapped region. Setting this larger than
+	// the potential max db size can prevent writer from blocking reader.
+	// This only works for linux and only on arm 32-bit
+	// This sets InitialMmapSize to 2GB, or (2 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024) - 1
+	InitialMmapSize = math.MaxInt32
+)
+
+
+// syscall.MAP_POPULATE on linux 2.6.23+ does sequential read-ahead
+// which can speed up entire-database read with boltdb. We want to
+// enable MAP_POPULATE for faster key-value store recovery in storage
+// package. If your kernel version is lower than 2.6.23
+// (https://github.com/torvalds/linux/releases/tag/v2.6.23), mmap might
+// silently ignore this flag. Please update your kernel to prevent this.
+var boltOpenOptions = &bolt.Options{
+	MmapFlags:       syscall.MAP_POPULATE,
+	InitialMmapSize: InitialMmapSize,
+}
diff --git a/storage/backend/boltoption_unix.go b/storage/backend/boltoption_unix.go
index f4824a2701ca..c53f1e6ec570 100644
--- a/storage/backend/boltoption_unix.go
+++ b/storage/backend/boltoption_unix.go
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-// +build linux
+
+// +build linux,!arm
 
 package backend
 
@@ -22,6 +23,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 )
 
+var (
+	// InitialMmapSize is the initial size of the mmapped region. Setting this larger than
+	// the potential max db size can prevent writer from blocking reader.
+	// This only works for linux.
+	InitialMmapSize = 10 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024
+)
+
 // syscall.MAP_POPULATE on linux 2.6.23+ does sequential read-ahead
 // which can speed up entire-database read with boltdb. We want to
 // enable MAP_POPULATE for faster key-value store recovery in storage