diff --git a/make_helpers/defaults.mk b/make_helpers/defaults.mk
index 2c8f82a..9946fea 100644
--- a/make_helpers/defaults.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/defaults.mk
@@ -136,3 +136,20 @@
 # required to enable cache coherency after warm reset (eg: single cluster
 # platforms).
 WARMBOOT_ENABLE_DCACHE_EARLY	:= 0
+
+# By default, enable Statistical Profiling Extensions.
+# The top level Makefile will disable this feature depending on
+# the target architecture and version number.
+ENABLE_SPE_FOR_LOWER_ELS	:= 1
+
+# SPE is enabled by default but only supported on AArch64 8.2 onwards.
+# Disable it in all other cases.
+ifeq (${ARCH},aarch32)
+    override ENABLE_SPE_FOR_LOWER_ELS := 0
+else
+    ifeq (${ARM_ARCH_MAJOR},8)
+        ifeq ($(ARM_ARCH_MINOR),$(filter $(ARM_ARCH_MINOR),0 1))
+            ENABLE_SPE_FOR_LOWER_ELS := 0
+        endif
+    endif
+endif