diff --git a/backends/s390_init.c b/backends/s390_init.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba8df45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backends/s390_init.c
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/* Initialization of S/390 specific backend library.
+   Copyright (C) 2005, 2006, 2013 Red Hat, Inc.
+   This file is part of elfutils.
+
+   This file is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of either
+
+     * the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+       Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+       your option) any later version
+
+   or
+
+     * the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+       Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at
+       your option) any later version
+
+   or both in parallel, as here.
+
+   elfutils is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+   WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+   General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received copies of the GNU General Public License and
+   the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this program.  If
+   not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#define BACKEND		s390_
+#define RELOC_PREFIX	R_390_
+#include "libebl_CPU.h"
+
+/* This defines the common reloc hooks based on arm_reloc.def.  */
+#include "common-reloc.c"
+
+extern __typeof (s390_core_note) s390x_core_note;
+
+
+const char *
+s390_init (Elf *elf __attribute__ ((unused)),
+	   GElf_Half machine __attribute__ ((unused)),
+	   Ebl *eh,
+	   size_t ehlen)
+{
+  /* Check whether the Elf_BH object has a sufficent size.  */
+  if (ehlen < sizeof (Ebl))
+    return NULL;
+
+  /* We handle it.  */
+  eh->name = "IBM S/390";
+  s390_init_reloc (eh);
+  HOOK (eh, reloc_simple_type);
+  HOOK (eh, register_info);
+  HOOK (eh, return_value_location);
+  if (eh->class == ELFCLASS64)
+    eh->core_note = s390x_core_note;
+  else
+    HOOK (eh, core_note);
+  HOOK (eh, abi_cfi);
+  /* gcc/config/ #define DWARF_FRAME_REGISTERS 34.
+     But from the gcc/config/s390/s390.h "Register usage." comment it looks as
+     if #32 (Argument pointer) and #33 (Condition code) are not used for
+     unwinding.  */
+  eh->frame_nregs = 32;
+  HOOK (eh, set_initial_registers_tid);
+  if (eh->class == ELFCLASS32)
+    HOOK (eh, normalize_pc);
+  HOOK (eh, unwind);
+
+  /* Only the 64-bit format uses the incorrect hash table entry size.  */
+  if (eh->class == ELFCLASS64)
+    eh->sysvhash_entrysize = sizeof (Elf64_Xword);
+
+  return MODVERSION;
+}