diff --git a/xbps-src b/xbps-src
index 43602edbb17..8a2ec8ee990 100755
--- a/xbps-src
+++ b/xbps-src
@@ -444,7 +444,6 @@ fi
 
 if [ -s $XBPS_MASTERDIR/.xbps_chroot_init ]; then
     export XBPS_ARCH=$(cat $XBPS_MASTERDIR/.xbps_chroot_init)
-    export XBPS_MACHINE=$XBPS_ARCH
     if [ "$XBPS_MACHINE" = "x86_64" -a "$XBPS_ARCH" = "i686" -a -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
         # reconfigure pkgs via linux32
         linux32 xbps-reconfigure -r ${XBPS_MASTERDIR} -a &>/dev/null
@@ -452,6 +451,9 @@ if [ -s $XBPS_MASTERDIR/.xbps_chroot_init ]; then
         exec linux32 $0 ${XBPS_OPTIONS} $@
     fi
 fi
+if [ -n "$XBPS_ARCH" ]; then
+    export XBPS_MACHINE=$XBPS_ARCH
+fi
 
 export XBPS_SHUTILSDIR XBPS_CROSSPFDIR XBPS_TRIGGERSDIR \
     XBPS_SRCPKGDIR XBPS_COMMONDIR XBPS_BUILDDIR XBPS_REPO_DELTAS \