diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
index 75d6d2200a2..d74cb096ad6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/lex.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ findpkg(Strlit *name)
 	if(goroot == nil) {
 		goroot = getenv("GOROOT");
 		goos = getenv("GOOS");
-		goarch = getenv("GOARCH");
+		goarch = thestring;
 	}
 
 	if(islocalname(name)) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/ld/lib.c b/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
index 232916845e0..f702bae2375 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
@@ -721,7 +721,6 @@ mywhatsys(void)
 	char *s;
 
 	goroot = getenv("GOROOT");
-	goarch = getenv("GOARCH");
 	goos = getenv("GOOS");
 
 	if(goroot == nil) {
@@ -732,9 +731,7 @@ mywhatsys(void)
 		strcpy(goroot, s);
 		strcat(goroot, "/go");
 	}
-	if(goarch == nil) {
-		goarch = "amd64";
-	}
+	goarch = thestring;	// ignore $GOARCH - we know who we are
 	if(goos == nil) {
 		goos = "linux";
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/ld/lib.h b/src/cmd/ld/lib.h
index 4a300ac4e90..bf26ae87d80 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ld/lib.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ld/lib.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ EXTERN	uchar	inuxi4[4];
 EXTERN	uchar	inuxi8[8];
 EXTERN	char*	outfile;
 EXTERN	int32	nsymbol;
+EXTERN	char*	thestring;
 
 void	addlib(char *src, char *obj);
 void	copyhistfrog(char *buf, int nbuf);