diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 540f7b240c77..9a07340b28a1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ export srctree objtree VPATH
 # then ARCH is assigned, getting whatever value it gets normally, and 
 # SUBARCH is subsequently ignored.
 
-SUBARCH := $(shell uname -m | sed -e s/i.86/i386/ -e s/sun4u/sparc64/ \
+SUBARCH := $(shell uname -m | sed -e s/i.86/x86/ -e s/x86_64/x86/ \
+				  -e s/sun4u/sparc64/ \
 				  -e s/arm.*/arm/ -e s/sa110/arm/ \
 				  -e s/s390x/s390/ -e s/parisc64/parisc/ \
 				  -e s/ppc.*/powerpc/ -e s/mips.*/mips/ \
diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index 46c3bff3ced2..9084c7bdc650 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Select 32 or 64 bit
 config 64BIT
 	bool "64-bit kernel" if ARCH = "x86"
-	default ARCH = "x86_64"
+	default ARCH != "i386"
 	---help---
 	  Say yes to build a 64-bit kernel - formerly known as x86_64
 	  Say no to build a 32-bit kernel - formerly known as i386
diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile b/arch/x86/Makefile
index 05afcca66de6..fa981ca1bfe5 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 
 # select defconfig based on actual architecture
 ifeq ($(ARCH),x86)
+  ifeq ($(shell uname -m),x86_64)
+        KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := x86_64_defconfig
+  else
         KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := i386_defconfig
+  endif
 else
         KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := $(ARCH)_defconfig
 endif
diff --git a/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig b/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig
index 5598547281a7..94447086e551 100644
--- a/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/configs/i386_defconfig
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# CONFIG_64BIT is not set
 CONFIG_EXPERIMENTAL=y
 # CONFIG_LOCALVERSION_AUTO is not set
 CONFIG_SYSVIPC=y