diff --git a/apps/codecs/codecs.make b/apps/codecs/codecs.make
index 605d8a3556..f2d2f13794 100644
--- a/apps/codecs/codecs.make
+++ b/apps/codecs/codecs.make
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ $(WMAPROLIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O1
 $(WMAVOICELIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O1
 
 # fine-tuning of CODECFLAGS per cpu arch
-ifeq ($(ARCH),arm)
+ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_arm)
   # redo per arm generation
   $(ALACLIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O2
   $(AYLIB) : CODECFLAGS +=  -O1
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ ifeq ($(ARCH),arm)
   $(VGMLIB) : CODECFLAGS +=  -O1
   $(EMU2413LIB) : CODECFLAGS +=  -O3
   $(WAVPACKLIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O3
-else ifeq ($(ARCH),m68k)
+else ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_m68k)
   $(A52LIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O2
   $(ASFLIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O3
   $(ATRACLIB) : CODECFLAGS += -O2
diff --git a/apps/codecs/demac/libdemac.make b/apps/codecs/demac/libdemac.make
index 4614344849..62ad53dfcc 100644
--- a/apps/codecs/demac/libdemac.make
+++ b/apps/codecs/demac/libdemac.make
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ DEMACLIB := $(CODECDIR)/libdemac.a
 DEMACLIB_SRC := $(call preprocess, $(APPSDIR)/codecs/demac/libdemac/SOURCES)
 DEMACLIB_OBJ := $(call c2obj, $(DEMACLIB_SRC))
 OTHER_SRC += $(DEMACLIB_SRC)
-ifeq ($(CPU),arm)
+ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_arm)
 OTHER_SRC += $(APPSDIR)/codecs/demac/libdemac/udiv32_arm-pre.S
 endif
 DEMACLIB_PRE := $(subst .a,-pre.a,$(DEMACLIB))
diff --git a/apps/codecs/lib/libcodec.make b/apps/codecs/lib/libcodec.make
index ca9b2c4fe2..7aef72f2b1 100644
--- a/apps/codecs/lib/libcodec.make
+++ b/apps/codecs/lib/libcodec.make
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ CODECLIBFLAGS = $(filter-out -O%,$(CODECFLAGS))
 
 ifeq ($(MEMORYSIZE),2)
     CODECLIBFLAGS += -Os
-else ifeq ($(CPU),coldfire)
+else ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_m68k)
     CODECLIBFLAGS += -O2
 else
     CODECLIBFLAGS += -O1
diff --git a/apps/codecs/libmad/libmad.make b/apps/codecs/libmad/libmad.make
index f8423b88fe..4ed8ab1e8c 100644
--- a/apps/codecs/libmad/libmad.make
+++ b/apps/codecs/libmad/libmad.make
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ MADFLAGS = $(filter-out -O%,$(CODECFLAGS)) -I$(APPSDIR)/codecs/libmad
 MADFLAGS += -UDEBUG -DNDEBUG -DHAVE_LIMITS_H
 
 # libmad is faster on ARM-targets with -O1 than -O2
-ifeq ($(CPU),arm)
+ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_arm)
    MADFLAGS += -O1
 else
    MADFLAGS += -O2
diff --git a/apps/codecs/libspeex/libspeex.make b/apps/codecs/libspeex/libspeex.make
index cc2c3caee1..1089982d27 100644
--- a/apps/codecs/libspeex/libspeex.make
+++ b/apps/codecs/libspeex/libspeex.make
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ VOICESPEEXFLAGS = $(filter-out -ffunction-sections, $(filter-out -DCODEC,$(_SPEE
 # libspeex is faster on ARM-targets with -O1 instead of -O2
 SPEEXFLAGS = $(filter-out -O%,$(_SPEEXFLAGS))
 
-ifeq ($(CPU),arm)
+ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_arm)
    SPEEXFLAGS += -O1
 else
    SPEEXFLAGS += -O2
diff --git a/apps/codecs/libwmavoice/libwmavoice.make b/apps/codecs/libwmavoice/libwmavoice.make
index 0497e18e1b..b35756c64a 100644
--- a/apps/codecs/libwmavoice/libwmavoice.make
+++ b/apps/codecs/libwmavoice/libwmavoice.make
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ $(WMAVOICELIB): $(WMAVOICELIB_OBJ)
 
 WMAVOICEFLAGS = -I$(APPSDIR)/codecs/libwmavoice $(filter-out -O%,$(CODECFLAGS))
 
-ifeq ($(CPU),coldfire)
+ifeq ($(ARCH),arch_m68k)
 	WMAVOICEFLAGS += -O2
 else
 	WMAVOICEFLAGS += -O1
diff --git a/firmware/asm/asm.make b/firmware/asm/asm.make
index 17b666ee5e..69147c506e 100644
--- a/firmware/asm/asm.make
+++ b/firmware/asm/asm.make
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@
 # Collect dummy C files in firmware/asm
 ASM_DUMMY_SRC := $(notdir $(call preprocess, $(FIRMDIR)/asm/SOURCES))
 
+ASM_ARCH := $(subst arch_,,$(ARCH)) # strip arch_ prefix from $(ARCH)
 # Get the corresponding real source files under firmware/asm/$ARCH (C or ASM)
-ASM_C_SRC := $(addprefix $(FIRMDIR)/asm/$(ARCH)/,$(ASM_DUMMY_SRC))
+ASM_C_SRC := $(addprefix $(FIRMDIR)/asm/$(ASM_ARCH)/,$(ASM_DUMMY_SRC))
 ASM_S_SRC := $(ASM_C_SRC:.c=.S)
 
 # ASM_SRC now contains only files that exist under $ARCH
diff --git a/firmware/export/config.h b/firmware/export/config.h
index 80bd83d61d..254128c844 100644
--- a/firmware/export/config.h
+++ b/firmware/export/config.h
@@ -526,12 +526,12 @@ Lyre prototype 1 */
 #ifndef __PCTOOL__
 
 /* define for all cpus from SH family */
-#if (CONFIG_CPU == SH7034)
+#if (ARCH == ARCH_SH) && (CONFIG_CPU == SH7034)
 #define CPU_SH
 #endif
 
 /* define for all cpus from coldfire family */
-#if (CONFIG_CPU == MCF5249) || (CONFIG_CPU == MCF5250)
+#if (ARCH == ARCH_M68K) && ((CONFIG_CPU == MCF5249) || (CONFIG_CPU == MCF5250))
 #define CPU_COLDFIRE
 #endif
 
@@ -565,31 +565,13 @@ Lyre prototype 1 */
 #endif
 
 /* define for all cpus from ARM family */
-#if ((CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_MAEMO5) && defined(MAEMO_ARM_BUILD)) \
-  || (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_PANDORA)
+#if ARCH == ARCH_ARM
 #define CPU_ARM
-#define ARM_ARCH 7 /* ARMv7 */
-
-#elif (CONFIG_CPU == IMX31L) || defined(SAMSUNG_YPR0) \
-  || ((CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_MAEMO4) && defined(MAEMO_ARM_BUILD))
-#define CPU_ARM
-#define ARM_ARCH 6 /* ARMv6 */
-
-#elif defined(CPU_TCC77X) || defined(CPU_TCC780X) || (CONFIG_CPU == DM320) \
-  || (CONFIG_CPU == AT91SAM9260) || (CONFIG_CPU == AS3525v2) \
-  || (CONFIG_CPU == S5L8702) || (CONFIG_CPU == IMX233) \
-  || (CONFIG_CPU == RK27XX) ||(CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_ANDROID)
-#define CPU_ARM
-#define ARM_ARCH 5 /* ARMv5 */
-
-#elif defined(CPU_PP) || (CONFIG_CPU == PNX0101) || (CONFIG_CPU == S3C2440) \
-  || (CONFIG_CPU == DSC25) || defined(CPU_S5L870X) || (CONFIG_CPU == AS3525)
-#define CPU_ARM
-#define ARM_ARCH 4 /* ARMv4 */
+#define ARM_ARCH ARCH_VERSION /* ARMv{4,5,6,7} */
 #endif
 
-#if (CONFIG_CPU == JZ4732)
-#define CPU_MIPS 32
+#if ARCH == ARCH_MIPS
+#define CPU_MIPS ARCH_VERSION /* 32, 64 */
 #endif
 
 #endif /*__PCTOOL__*/
diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index ffded7eb87..5181ce4a19 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -523,6 +523,8 @@ arm7ejscc () {
 }
 
 mipselcc () {
+ arch="mips"
+ arch_version=32 # FIXME: autodetect version (32 or 64)
  prefixtools mipsel-elf-
  # mips is predefined, but we want it for paths. use __mips instead
  GCCOPTS="$CCOPTS -march=mips32 -mtune=r4600 -mno-mips16 -mno-long-calls -Umips"
@@ -3674,21 +3676,36 @@ if [ -z "$arch" ]; then
         arch="m68k"
     elif [ -n "$(echo $cpp_defines | grep -w __arm__)" ]; then
         arch="arm"
+        # cpp defines like "#define __ARM_ARCH_4TE__ 1" (where we want to extract the 4)
+        arch_version="$(echo $cpp_defines | sed s,\ ,\\n,g | grep __ARM_ARCH | sed -e 's,.*\([0-9]\).*,\1,')"
     elif [ -n "$(echo $cpp_defines | grep -w __mips__)" ]; then
-        arch="mips"
+        arch="mips" # FIXME: autodetect version (32 or 64)
     elif [ -n "$(echo $cpp_defines | grep -w _X86_)" ]; then
         arch="x86"
     elif [ -n "$(echo $cpp_defines | grep -w __x86_64__)" ]; then
         arch="amd64"
     else
-        arch="unknown"
+        arch="none"
         echo "Warning: Could not determine target arch"
     fi
-    if [ "$arch" != "unknown" ]; then
-        echo "Automatically selected arch: $arch"
+    if [ "$arch" != "none" ]; then        
+        if [ -n "$arch_version" ]; then
+            echo "Automatically selected arch: $arch (ver $arch_version)"
+        else
+            echo "Automatically selected arch: $arch"
+        fi
     fi;
 else
-    echo "Manually selected arch: $arch"
+    if [ -n "$arch_version" ]; then
+        echo "Manually selected arch: $arch (ver $arch_version)"
+    else
+        echo "Manually selected arch: $arch"
+    fi
+fi
+
+arch="arch_$arch"
+if [ -n "$arch_version" ]; then
+    Darch_version="#define ARCH_VERSION $arch_version"
 fi
 
 if test -n "$ccache"; then
@@ -3720,6 +3737,35 @@ cat > autoconf.h <<EOF
 #ifndef __BUILD_AUTOCONF_H
 #define __BUILD_AUTOCONF_H
 
+/* lower case names match the what's exported in the Makefile
+ * upper case name looks nicer in the code */
+
+#define arch_none 0
+#define ARCH_NONE 0
+
+#define arch_sh 1
+#define ARCH_SH 1
+
+#define arch_m68k 2
+#define ARCH_M68K 2
+
+#define arch_arm 3
+#define ARCH_ARM 3
+
+#define arch_mips 4
+#define ARCH_MIPS 4
+
+#define arch_x86 5
+#define ARCH_X86 5
+
+#define arch_amd64 6
+#define ARCH_AMD64 6
+
+/* Define target machine architecture */
+#define ARCH ${arch}
+/* Optinally define architecture version */
+${Darch_version}
+
 /* Define endianess for the target or simulator platform */
 #define ${defendian} 1
 
@@ -3827,6 +3873,7 @@ export FLASHFILE=${flash}
 export TARGET_ID=${target_id}
 export TARGET=-D${target}
 export ARCH=${arch}
+export ARCH_VERSION=${arch_version}
 export CPU=${t_cpu}
 export MANUFACTURER=${t_manufacturer}
 export OBJDIR=${pwd}
diff --git a/tools/root.make b/tools/root.make
index 51886a09f9..b12ed2abfa 100644
--- a/tools/root.make
+++ b/tools/root.make
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ endif
 #included before codecs.make and plugins.make so they see them)
 ifndef APP_TYPE
   include $(ROOTDIR)/lib/libsetjmp/libsetjmp.make
-  ifeq (arm,$(ARCH))
+  ifeq (arch_arm,$(ARCH))
     include $(ROOTDIR)/lib/arm_support/arm_support.make
   endif
 endif
 
-ifeq (arm,$(ARCH))
+ifeq (arch_arm,$(ARCH))
     include $(ROOTDIR)/lib/unwarminder/unwarminder.make
 endif