--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoApp.java
@@ -2388,17 +2388,18 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
         }
 
         super.onDestroy();
 
         Tabs.unregisterOnTabsChangedListener(this);
     }
 
     public void showSDKVersionError() {
-        final String message = getString(R.string.unsupported_sdk_version, Build.CPU_ABI, Integer.toString(Build.VERSION.SDK_INT));
+        final String message = getString(R.string.unsupported_sdk_version,
+                HardwareUtils.getRealAbi(), Integer.toString(Build.VERSION.SDK_INT));
         Toast.makeText(this, message, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
     }
 
     // Get a temporary directory, may return null
     public static File getTempDirectory(@NonNull Context context) {
         return context.getApplicationContext().getExternalFilesDir("temp");
     }
 

--- a/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/gecko/util/HardwareUtils.java
+++ b/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/gecko/util/HardwareUtils.java
@@ -7,16 +7,17 @@ package org.mozilla.gecko.util;
 
 import org.mozilla.gecko.AppConstants;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.SysInfo;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.os.Build;
+import android.system.Os;
 import android.util.Log;
 
 import org.mozilla.gecko.SysInfo;
 import org.mozilla.geckoview.BuildConfig;
 
 public final class HardwareUtils {
     private static final String LOGTAG = "GeckoHardwareUtils";
 
@@ -80,32 +81,52 @@ public final class HardwareUtils {
         return SysInfo.getMemSize();
     }
 
     public static boolean isARMSystem() {
         return Build.CPU_ABI != null && Build.CPU_ABI.equals("armeabi-v7a");
     }
 
     public static boolean isX86System() {
-        return Build.CPU_ABI != null && Build.CPU_ABI.equals("x86");
+        if (Build.CPU_ABI != null && Build.CPU_ABI.equals("x86")) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 21) {
+            // On some devices we have to look into the kernel release string.
+            try {
+                return Os.uname().release.contains("-x86_");
+            } catch (final Exception e) {
+                Log.w(LOGTAG, "Cannot get uname", e);
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    public static String getRealAbi() {
+        if (isX86System() && isARMSystem()) {
+            // Some x86 devices try to make us believe we're ARM,
+            // in which case CPU_ABI is not reliable.
+            return "x86";
+        }
+        return Build.CPU_ABI;
     }
 
     /**
      * @return false if the current system is not supported (e.g. APK/system ABI mismatch).
      */
     public static boolean isSupportedSystem() {
         // We've had crash reports from users on API 10 (with minSDK==15). That shouldn't even install,
         // but since it does we need to protect against it:
         if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < AppConstants.Versions.MIN_SDK_VERSION) {
             return false;
         }
 
         // See http://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/abis.html
-        final boolean isSystemARM = isARMSystem();
         final boolean isSystemX86 = isX86System();
+        final boolean isSystemARM = !isSystemX86 && isARMSystem();
 
         boolean isAppARM = BuildConfig.ANDROID_CPU_ARCH.startsWith("armeabi-v7a");
         boolean isAppX86 = BuildConfig.ANDROID_CPU_ARCH.startsWith("x86");
 
         // Only reject known incompatible ABIs. Better safe than sorry.
         if ((isSystemX86 && isAppARM) || (isSystemARM && isAppX86)) {
             return false;
         }