diff --git a/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.h b/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.h
--- a/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.h
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@
 int ofw_bus_is_compatible_strict(device_t, const char *);
 int ofw_bus_node_is_compatible(phandle_t, const char *);
 
+/* Check if machine (root node) is  compatible */
+bool ofw_bus_is_machine_compatible(const char *);
+
 /* 
  * Helper routine to search a list of compat properties.  The table is
  * terminated by an entry with a NULL compat-string pointer; a pointer to that
diff --git a/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.c b/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.c
--- a/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ofw/ofw_bus_subr.c
@@ -298,6 +298,15 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+bool
+ofw_bus_is_machine_compatible(const char *compat)
+{
+	phandle_t root;
+
+	root = OF_finddevice("/");
+	return (ofw_bus_node_is_compatible(root, compat) != 0);
+}
+
 const struct ofw_compat_data *
 ofw_bus_search_compatible(device_t dev, const struct ofw_compat_data *compat)
 {