diff --git a/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/Makefile b/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/Makefile
index 48db744..a790a23 100644
--- a/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 obj-y	+= board.o
 obj-y	+= clock.o
 obj-y	+= cpu_info.o
+obj-y	+= dram_helpers.o
 obj-y	+= pinmux.o
 obj-y	+= usbc.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_MACH_SUN6I)	+= prcm.o
diff --git a/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/dram_helpers.c b/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/dram_helpers.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a94e1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/arm/cpu/armv7/sunxi/dram_helpers.c
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * DRAM init helper functions
+ *
+ * (C) Copyright 2015 Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier:	GPL-2.0+
+ */
+
+#include <common.h>
+#include <asm/io.h>
+#include <asm/arch/dram.h>
+
+/*
+ * Wait up to 1s for value to be set in given part of reg.
+ */
+void mctl_await_completion(u32 *reg, u32 mask, u32 val)
+{
+	unsigned long tmo = timer_get_us() + 1000000;
+
+	while ((readl(reg) & mask) != val) {
+		if (timer_get_us() > tmo)
+			panic("Timeout initialising DRAM\n");
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Test if memory at offset offset matches memory at begin of DRAM
+ */
+bool mctl_mem_matches(u32 offset)
+{
+	/* Try to write different values to RAM at two addresses */
+	writel(0, CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE);
+	writel(0xaa55aa55, CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE + offset);
+	/* Check if the same value is actually observed when reading back */
+	return readl(CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE) ==
+	       readl(CONFIG_SYS_SDRAM_BASE + offset);
+}