diff --git a/arch/arm/mm/init.c b/arch/arm/mm/init.c
index 1ab66303b016..bddebe0fdc73 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mm/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mm/init.c
@@ -377,10 +377,9 @@ void __init arm_memblock_init(struct meminfo *mi, struct machine_desc *mdesc)
 		mdesc->reserve();
 
 	/*
-	 * reserve memory for DMA contigouos allocations,
-	 * must come from DMA area inside low memory
+	 * reserve memory for DMA contigouos allocations
 	 */
-	dma_contiguous_reserve(min(arm_dma_limit, arm_lowmem_limit));
+	dma_contiguous_reserve(arm_dma_limit);
 
 	arm_memblock_steal_permitted = false;
 	memblock_allow_resize();
diff --git a/drivers/base/dma-contiguous.c b/drivers/base/dma-contiguous.c
index 74f26c910506..3b3a22443023 100644
--- a/drivers/base/dma-contiguous.c
+++ b/drivers/base/dma-contiguous.c
@@ -296,6 +296,8 @@ int __init dma_contiguous_reserve_area(phys_addr_t size, phys_addr_t *res_base,
 {
 	phys_addr_t base = *res_base;
 	phys_addr_t alignment;
+	phys_addr_t memblock_end = memblock_end_of_DRAM();
+	phys_addr_t highmem_start = __pa(high_memory);
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	pr_debug("%s(size %lx, base %08lx, limit %08lx)\n", __func__,
@@ -311,6 +313,13 @@ int __init dma_contiguous_reserve_area(phys_addr_t size, phys_addr_t *res_base,
 	if (!size)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	if (((limit == 0 || limit > memblock_end) &&
+	     (memblock_end - size < highmem_start &&
+	      memblock_end > highmem_start)) ||
+	    (limit > highmem_start && limit - size < highmem_start)) {
+		limit = highmem_start;
+	}
+
 	/* Sanitise input arguments */
 	alignment = PAGE_SIZE << max(MAX_ORDER - 1, pageblock_order);
 	base = ALIGN(base, alignment);