diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d9f8a460..edd0cdb6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -322,9 +322,13 @@ MKDIR=mkdir
 EXTRA_FILES=
 CLIENT_EXTRA_FILES=
 
+ifneq (,$(findstring "$(COMPILE_PLATFORM)", "linux" "gnu_kfreebsd" "kfreebsd-gnu" "gnu"))
+  TOOLS_CFLAGS += -DARCH_STRING=\"$(COMPILE_ARCH)\"
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(findstring "$(PLATFORM)", "linux" "gnu_kfreebsd" "kfreebsd-gnu" "gnu"))
   BASE_CFLAGS = -Wall -fno-strict-aliasing -Wimplicit -Wstrict-prototypes \
-    -pipe -DUSE_ICON
+    -pipe -DUSE_ICON -DARCH_STRING=\\\"$(ARCH)\\\"
   CLIENT_CFLAGS += $(SDL_CFLAGS)
 
   OPTIMIZEVM = -O3
diff --git a/code/qcommon/q_platform.h b/code/qcommon/q_platform.h
index e22fc7d9..3ed5357f 100644
--- a/code/qcommon/q_platform.h
+++ b/code/qcommon/q_platform.h
@@ -185,38 +185,13 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 
 #define PATH_SEP '/'
 
-#if defined __i386__
-#define ARCH_STRING "x86"
-#elif defined __x86_64__
+#if !defined(ARCH_STRING)
+# error ARCH_STRING should be defined by the Makefile
+#endif
+
+#if defined __x86_64__
 #undef idx64
 #define idx64 1
-#define ARCH_STRING "x86_64"
-#elif defined __powerpc64__
-#define ARCH_STRING "ppc64"
-#elif defined __powerpc__
-#define ARCH_STRING "ppc"
-#elif defined __s390__
-#define ARCH_STRING "s390"
-#elif defined __s390x__
-#define ARCH_STRING "s390x"
-#elif defined __ia64__
-#define ARCH_STRING "ia64"
-#elif defined __alpha__
-#define ARCH_STRING "alpha"
-#elif defined __sparc__
-#define ARCH_STRING "sparc"
-#elif defined __arm__
-#define ARCH_STRING "arm"
-#elif defined __aarch64__
-#define ARCH_STRING "aarch64"
-#elif defined __cris__
-#define ARCH_STRING "cris"
-#elif defined __hppa__
-#define ARCH_STRING "hppa"
-#elif defined __mips__
-#define ARCH_STRING "mips"
-#elif defined __sh__
-#define ARCH_STRING "sh"
 #endif
 
 #if __FLOAT_WORD_ORDER == __BIG_ENDIAN