diff --git a/builder/index_parser.ml b/builder/index_parser.ml
index 2d4a642b1..de4d72ecf 100644
--- a/builder/index_parser.ml
+++ b/builder/index_parser.ml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ and entry = {
   printable_name : string option;       (* the name= field *)
   osinfo : string option;
   file_uri : string;
+  arch : string;
   signature_uri : string option;        (* deprecated, will be removed in 1.26 *)
   checksum_sha512 : string option;
   revision : int;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ and entry = {
 
 let print_entry chan (name, { printable_name = printable_name;
                               file_uri = file_uri;
+                              arch = arch;
                               osinfo = osinfo;
                               signature_uri = signature_uri;
                               checksum_sha512 = checksum_sha512;
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ let print_entry chan (name, { printable_name = printable_name;
   | Some id -> fp "osinfo=%s\n" id
   );
   fp "file=%s\n" file_uri;
+  fp "arch=%s\n" arch;
   (match signature_uri with
   | None -> ()
   | Some uri -> fp "sig=%s\n" uri
@@ -179,6 +182,11 @@ let get_index ~prog ~debug ~downloader ~sigchecker source =
             with Not_found ->
               eprintf (f_"virt-builder: no 'file' (URI) entry for '%s'\n") n;
             corrupt_file () in
+          let arch =
+            try List.assoc ("arch", None) fields
+            with Not_found ->
+              eprintf (f_"virt-builder: no 'arch' entry for '%s'\n") n;
+            corrupt_file () in
           let signature_uri =
             try Some (make_absolute_uri (List.assoc ("sig", None) fields))
             with Not_found -> None in
@@ -245,6 +253,7 @@ let get_index ~prog ~debug ~downloader ~sigchecker source =
           let entry = { printable_name = printable_name;
                         osinfo = osinfo;
                         file_uri = file_uri;
+                        arch = arch;
                         signature_uri = signature_uri;
                         checksum_sha512 = checksum_sha512;
                         revision = revision;
diff --git a/builder/index_parser.mli b/builder/index_parser.mli
index 3c679b3ee..0575dc4ea 100644
--- a/builder/index_parser.mli
+++ b/builder/index_parser.mli
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ and entry = {
   printable_name : string option;       (* the name= field *)
   osinfo : string option;
   file_uri : string;
+  arch : string;
   signature_uri : string option;        (* deprecated, will be removed in 1.26 *)
   checksum_sha512 : string option;
   revision : int;
diff --git a/builder/list_entries.ml b/builder/list_entries.ml
index 27ea95e72..edf7dfb7f 100644
--- a/builder/list_entries.ml
+++ b/builder/list_entries.ml
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ and list_entries_long ~sources index =
 
   List.iter (
     fun (name, { Index_parser.printable_name = printable_name;
+                 arch = arch;
                  size = size;
                  compressed_size = compressed_size;
                  notes = notes;
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ and list_entries_long ~sources index =
         | None -> ()
         | Some name -> printf "%-24s %s\n" (s_"Full name:") name;
         );
+        printf "%-24s %s\n" (s_"Architecture:") arch;
         printf "%-24s %s\n" (s_"Minimum/default size:") (human_size size);
         (match compressed_size with
         | None -> ()
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ and list_entries_json ~sources index =
   printf "  \"templates\": [\n";
   iteri (
     fun i (name, { Index_parser.printable_name = printable_name;
+                   arch = arch;
                    size = size;
                    compressed_size = compressed_size;
                    notes = notes;
@@ -175,6 +178,7 @@ and list_entries_json ~sources index =
       printf "  {\n";
       printf "    \"os-version\": \"%s\",\n" name;
       json_optional_printf_string "full-name" printable_name;
+      printf "    \"arch\": \"%s\",\n" arch;
       printf "    \"size\": %Ld,\n" size;
       json_optional_printf_int64 "compressed-size" compressed_size;
       print_notes notes;
diff --git a/builder/test-index.in b/builder/test-index.in
index 1bca6b8d5..3efebc4cd 100644
--- a/builder/test-index.in
+++ b/builder/test-index.in
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [phony-debian]
 name=Phony Debian
+arch=x86_64
 file=debian.xz
 format=raw
 size=536870912
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ notes=Phony Debian look-alike used for testing.
 
 [phony-fedora]
 name=Phony Fedora
+arch=x86_64
 file=fedora.xz
 format=raw
 size=1073741824
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ notes=Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 [phony-fedora-qcow2]
 name=Phony Fedora qcow2
+arch=x86_64
 file=fedora.qcow2.xz
 format=qcow2
 size=1073741824
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@ notes=Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 [phony-fedora-qcow2-uncompressed]
 name=Phony Fedora qcow2 uncompressed
+arch=x86_64
 file=fedora.qcow2
 format=qcow2
 size=1073741824
@@ -36,6 +40,7 @@ notes=Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 [phony-fedora-no-format]
 name=Phony Fedora
+arch=x86_64
 file=fedora.qcow2.xz
 size=1073741824
 expand=/dev/sda2
@@ -44,6 +49,7 @@ notes=Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 [phony-ubuntu]
 name=Phony Ubuntu
+arch=x86_64
 file=ubuntu.xz
 format=raw
 size=536870912
@@ -52,6 +58,7 @@ notes=Phony Ubuntu look-alike used for testing.
 
 [phony-windows]
 name=Phony Windows
+arch=x86_64
 file=windows.xz
 format=raw
 size=536870912
diff --git a/builder/test-virt-builder-list.sh b/builder/test-virt-builder-list.sh
index 634254d08..717415272 100755
--- a/builder/test-virt-builder-list.sh
+++ b/builder/test-virt-builder-list.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ Fingerprint: F777 4FB1 AD07 4A7E 8C87 67EA 9173 8F73 E1B7 68A0
 
 os-version:              phony-debian
 Full name:               Phony Debian
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    512.0M
 
 Notes:
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ Phony Debian look-alike used for testing.
 
 os-version:              phony-fedora
 Full name:               Phony Fedora
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    1.0G
 
 Notes:
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 os-version:              phony-fedora-qcow2
 Full name:               Phony Fedora qcow2
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    1.0G
 
 Notes:
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@ Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 os-version:              phony-fedora-qcow2-uncompressed
 Full name:               Phony Fedora qcow2 uncompressed
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    1.0G
 
 Notes:
@@ -78,6 +82,7 @@ Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 os-version:              phony-fedora-no-format
 Full name:               Phony Fedora
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    1.0G
 
 Notes:
@@ -86,6 +91,7 @@ Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.
 
 os-version:              phony-ubuntu
 Full name:               Phony Ubuntu
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    512.0M
 
 Notes:
@@ -94,6 +100,7 @@ Phony Ubuntu look-alike used for testing.
 
 os-version:              phony-windows
 Full name:               Phony Windows
+Architecture:            x86_64
 Minimum/default size:    512.0M
 
 Notes:
@@ -118,6 +125,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-debian\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Debian\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 536870912,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Debian look-alike used for testing.\"
@@ -127,6 +135,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-fedora\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Fedora\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 1073741824,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.\"
@@ -136,6 +145,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-fedora-qcow2\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Fedora qcow2\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 1073741824,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.\"
@@ -145,6 +155,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-fedora-qcow2-uncompressed\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Fedora qcow2 uncompressed\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 1073741824,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.\"
@@ -154,6 +165,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-fedora-no-format\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Fedora\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 1073741824,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Fedora look-alike used for testing.\"
@@ -163,6 +175,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-ubuntu\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Ubuntu\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 536870912,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Ubuntu look-alike used for testing.\"
@@ -172,6 +185,7 @@ if [ "$json_list" != "{
   {
     \"os-version\": \"phony-windows\",
     \"full-name\": \"Phony Windows\",
+    \"arch\": \"x86_64\",
     \"size\": 536870912,
     \"notes\": {
       \"C\": \"Phony Windows look-alike used for testing.\"