diff --git a/meta/classes/kernel-arch.bbclass b/meta/classes/kernel-arch.bbclass
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..211b72b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/classes/kernel-arch.bbclass
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#
+# set the ARCH environment variable for kernel compilation (including
+# modules). return value must match one of the architecture directories
+# in the kernel source "arch" directory
+#
+
+valid_archs = "alpha cris ia64 \
+               i386 x86 \
+               m68knommu m68k ppc powerpc powerpc64 ppc64  \
+               sparc sparc64 \
+               arm aarch64 \
+               m32r mips \
+               sh sh64 um h8300   \
+               parisc s390  v850 \
+               avr32 blackfin \
+               microblaze"
+
+def map_kernel_arch(a, d):
+    import re
+
+    valid_archs = d.getVar('valid_archs', True).split()
+
+    if   re.match('(i.86|athlon|x86.64)$', a):  return 'x86'
+    elif re.match('armeb$', a):                 return 'arm'
+    elif re.match('aarch64$', a):               return 'arm64'
+    elif re.match('aarch64_be$', a):            return 'arm64'
+    elif re.match('mips(el|64|64el)$', a):      return 'mips'
+    elif re.match('p(pc|owerpc)(|64)', a):      return 'powerpc'
+    elif re.match('sh(3|4)$', a):               return 'sh'
+    elif re.match('bfin', a):                   return 'blackfin'
+    elif re.match('microblazee[bl]', a):        return 'microblaze'
+    elif a in valid_archs:                      return a
+    else:
+        bb.error("cannot map '%s' to a linux kernel architecture" % a)
+
+export ARCH = "${@map_kernel_arch(d.getVar('TARGET_ARCH', True), d)}"
+
+def map_uboot_arch(a, d):
+    import re
+
+    if   re.match('p(pc|owerpc)(|64)', a): return 'ppc'
+    elif re.match('i.86$', a): return 'x86'
+    return a
+
+export UBOOT_ARCH = "${@map_uboot_arch(d.getVar('ARCH', True), d)}"
+
+# Set TARGET_??_KERNEL_ARCH in the machine .conf to set architecture
+# specific options necessary for building the kernel and modules.
+TARGET_CC_KERNEL_ARCH ?= ""
+HOST_CC_KERNEL_ARCH ?= "${TARGET_CC_KERNEL_ARCH}"
+TARGET_LD_KERNEL_ARCH ?= ""
+HOST_LD_KERNEL_ARCH ?= "${TARGET_LD_KERNEL_ARCH}"
+TARGET_AR_KERNEL_ARCH ?= ""
+HOST_AR_KERNEL_ARCH ?= "${TARGET_AR_KERNEL_ARCH}"
+
+KERNEL_CC = "${CCACHE}${HOST_PREFIX}gcc ${HOST_CC_KERNEL_ARCH} -fuse-ld=bfd"
+KERNEL_LD = "${CCACHE}${HOST_PREFIX}ld.bfd ${HOST_LD_KERNEL_ARCH}"
+KERNEL_AR = "${CCACHE}${HOST_PREFIX}ar ${HOST_AR_KERNEL_ARCH}"
+