diff --git a/config/arch.arm b/config/arch.arm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..23cad56998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/arch.arm
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# determine architecture's family
+  TARGET_SUBARCH=arm
+  TARGET_ABI=eabi
+
+# determines TARGET_CPU, if not forced by user
+  if [ -z "$TARGET_CPU" ]; then
+    TARGET_CPU=cortex-a8
+  fi
diff --git a/config/arch.i386 b/config/arch.i386
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5536f7c92a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/arch.i386
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# determine architecture's family
+    TARGET_SUBARCH=i686
+
+# determines TARGET_CPU, if not forced by user
+  if [ -z "$TARGET_CPU" ]; then
+    TARGET_CPU=i686
+  fi
diff --git a/config/arch.x86_64 b/config/arch.x86_64
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e850f124a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/arch.x86_64
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# determine architecture's family
+  TARGET_SUBARCH=x86_64
+
+# determines TARGET_CPU, if not forced by user
+  if [ -z "$TARGET_CPU" ]; then
+    TARGET_CPU=core2
+  fi
diff --git a/config/path b/config/path
index 028cbf763c..c1f986f671 100644
--- a/config/path
+++ b/config/path
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ set -e
   ADDONS=addons
 
 # include ARCH specific options
-  . config/arch
+  . config/arch.$TARGET_ARCH
 
 HOST_NAME=`$SCRIPTS/configtools/config.guess`
 TARGET_NAME=${TARGET_SUBARCH}-openelec-linux-gnu${TARGET_ABI}