diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7453de6..7657420 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -300,7 +300,10 @@
 * Host CPU architecture
 
     By default openbmc-test-automation framework assumes that host CPU is based on the POWER architecture.
-    If your host CPU is x86 add `-v PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE:x86` variable setting to your CLI commands.
+    If your host CPU is x86 add `-v PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE:x86` variable setting to your CLI commands or set an environment variable:
+    ```
+    $ export PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE=x86
+    ```
 
 **Jenkins jobs tox commands**
 * HW CI tox command:
diff --git a/lib/boot_data.py b/lib/boot_data.py
index 9755cef..7b918fa 100755
--- a/lib/boot_data.py
+++ b/lib/boot_data.py
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 redfish_support_trans_state = int(os.environ.get('REDFISH_SUPPORT_TRANS_STATE', 0)) or \
     int(BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${REDFISH_SUPPORT_TRANS_STATE}", default=0))
 
-platform_arch_type = BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
+platform_arch_type = os.environ.get('PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE', '') or \
+    BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
 
 
 def create_boot_table(file_path=None,
diff --git a/lib/openbmc_ffdc_list.py b/lib/openbmc_ffdc_list.py
index ad64990..aabf33e 100755
--- a/lib/openbmc_ffdc_list.py
+++ b/lib/openbmc_ffdc_list.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #              commands and files to be collected as a part
 #              of the test case failure.
 """
+import os
+
 from robot.libraries.BuiltIn import BuiltIn
 
 # -------------------
@@ -157,7 +159,8 @@
     },
 }
 
-platform_arch_type = BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
+platform_arch_type = os.environ.get('PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE', '') or \
+    BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
 # Filter the logs based on platform type.
 if platform_arch_type == "x86":
     del FFDC_BMC_FILE['BMC FILES']['PEL_logs_list.json']
diff --git a/lib/state.py b/lib/state.py
index 6e0e9c3..8bd6c39 100755
--- a/lib/state.py
+++ b/lib/state.py
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@
 redfish_support_trans_state = int(os.environ.get('REDFISH_SUPPORT_TRANS_STATE', 0)) or \
     int(BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${REDFISH_SUPPORT_TRANS_STATE}", default=0))
 
-platform_arch_type = BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
+platform_arch_type = os.environ.get('PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE', '') or \
+    BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
 
 # valid_os_req_states and default_os_req_states are used by the os_get_state
 # function.
diff --git a/lib/state_map.py b/lib/state_map.py
index ae64af5..7e7b504 100644
--- a/lib/state_map.py
+++ b/lib/state_map.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
 BuiltIn().import_resource("state_manager.robot")
 BuiltIn().import_resource("rest_client.robot")
 
-platform_arch_type = BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
+platform_arch_type = os.environ.get('PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE', '') or \
+    BuiltIn().get_variable_value("${PLATFORM_ARCH_TYPE}", default="power")
 
 # We will build eventually the mapping for warm, cold reset as well.
 VALID_STATES = {