diff --git a/common/environment/setup-subpkg/subpkg.sh b/common/environment/setup-subpkg/subpkg.sh
index 21cd479ce0a..6bf748fdc3d 100644
--- a/common/environment/setup-subpkg/subpkg.sh
+++ b/common/environment/setup-subpkg/subpkg.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # a package template and can also be used in subpkgs.
 
 ## VARIABLES
-unset -v noarch conf_files mutable_files preserve triggers alternatives
+unset -v conf_files mutable_files preserve triggers alternatives
 unset -v depends run_depends replaces provides conflicts tags
 
 # hooks/post-install/03-strip-and-debug-pkgs
diff --git a/common/environment/setup/sourcepkg.sh b/common/environment/setup/sourcepkg.sh
index 0ed968f3784..82d466a11e1 100644
--- a/common/environment/setup/sourcepkg.sh
+++ b/common/environment/setup/sourcepkg.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 ## VARIABLES
 unset -v pkgname version revision short_desc homepage license maintainer
-unset -v only_for_archs distfiles checksum build_style build_helper nocross broken
+unset -v archs only_for_archs distfiles checksum build_style build_helper nocross broken
 unset -v configure_script configure_args wrksrc build_wrksrc create_wrksrc
 unset -v make_build_args make_check_args make_install_args
 unset -v make_build_target make_check_target make_install_target
diff --git a/common/hooks/do-pkg/00-gen-pkg.sh b/common/hooks/do-pkg/00-gen-pkg.sh
index 75d47d36496..2b1d3ad02e7 100644
--- a/common/hooks/do-pkg/00-gen-pkg.sh
+++ b/common/hooks/do-pkg/00-gen-pkg.sh
@@ -97,14 +97,14 @@ hook() {
 	local arch= binpkg= repo= _pkgver= _desc= _pkgn= _pkgv= _provides= \
 		_replaces= _reverts= f= found_dbg_subpkg=
 
-	if [ -n "$noarch" ]; then
+	if [ "${archs// /}" = "noarch" ]; then
 		arch=noarch
 	elif [ -n "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" ]; then
 		arch=$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE
 	else
 		arch=$XBPS_MACHINE
 	fi
-	if [ -z "$noarch" -a -z "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" -a -n "$XBPS_ARCH" -a "$XBPS_ARCH" != "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" ]; then
+	if [ "${archs// /}" != "noarch" -a -z "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" -a -n "$XBPS_ARCH" -a "$XBPS_ARCH" != "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" ]; then
 		arch=${XBPS_ARCH}
 	fi
 
diff --git a/common/hooks/post-install/06-strip-and-debug-pkgs.sh b/common/hooks/post-install/06-strip-and-debug-pkgs.sh
index bd4cdbd6122..4a703c8007f 100644
--- a/common/hooks/post-install/06-strip-and-debug-pkgs.sh
+++ b/common/hooks/post-install/06-strip-and-debug-pkgs.sh
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ create_debug_pkg() {
 hook() {
 	local fname= x= f= _soname= STRIPCMD=
 
-	if [ -n "$nostrip" -o -n "$noarch" ]; then
+	if [ -n "$nostrip" -o "${archs// /}" = "noarch" ]; then
 		return 0
 	fi
 
diff --git a/common/hooks/post-pkg/00-register-pkg.sh b/common/hooks/post-pkg/00-register-pkg.sh
index 98e1a2f5c69..5dc28c999c9 100644
--- a/common/hooks/post-pkg/00-register-pkg.sh
+++ b/common/hooks/post-pkg/00-register-pkg.sh
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ registerpkg() {
 hook() {
 	local arch= binpkg= pkgdir=
 
-	if [ -n "$noarch" ]; then
+	if [ "${archs// /}" = "noarch" ]; then
 		arch=noarch
 	elif [ -n "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" ]; then
 		arch=$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE
 	else
 		arch=$XBPS_MACHINE
 	fi
-	if [ -z "$noarch" -a -z "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" -a -n "$XBPS_ARCH" -a "$XBPS_ARCH" != "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" ]; then
+	if [ "${archs// /}" != "noarch" -a -z "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" -a -n "$XBPS_ARCH" -a "$XBPS_ARCH" != "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" ]; then
 		arch=${XBPS_ARCH}
 	fi
 	if [ -n "$repository" ]; then
diff --git a/common/hooks/pre-pkg/04-generate-runtime-deps.sh b/common/hooks/pre-pkg/04-generate-runtime-deps.sh
index b5307ff8226..498d8289342 100644
--- a/common/hooks/pre-pkg/04-generate-runtime-deps.sh
+++ b/common/hooks/pre-pkg/04-generate-runtime-deps.sh
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ hook() {
 
     mapshlibs=$XBPS_COMMONDIR/shlibs
 
-    if [ -n "$noarch" -o -n "$noverifyrdeps" ]; then
+    if [ "${archs// /}" = "noarch" -o -n "$noverifyrdeps" ]; then
         store_pkgdestdir_rundeps
         return 0
     fi
diff --git a/common/hooks/pre-pkg/05-prepare-32bit.sh b/common/hooks/pre-pkg/05-prepare-32bit.sh
index 1b6a5ae2161..8440b3d36a8 100644
--- a/common/hooks/pre-pkg/05-prepare-32bit.sh
+++ b/common/hooks/pre-pkg/05-prepare-32bit.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ hook() {
 		return
 	fi 
 	# Ignore noarch pkgs.
-	if [ -n "$noarch" ]; then
+	if [ "${archs// /}" = "noarch" ]; then
 		return
 	fi
 	if [ -z "$lib32mode" ]; then
diff --git a/common/hooks/pre-pkg/06-shlib-provides.sh b/common/hooks/pre-pkg/06-shlib-provides.sh
index 66bb03ac058..480d614097b 100644
--- a/common/hooks/pre-pkg/06-shlib-provides.sh
+++ b/common/hooks/pre-pkg/06-shlib-provides.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ collect_sonames() {
 hook() {
 	local _destdir32=${XBPS_DESTDIR}/${pkgname}-32bit-${version}
 
-	if [ -z "$shlib_provides" -a -n "$noarch" -o -n "$noshlibprovides" ]; then
+	if [ -z "$shlib_provides" -a "${archs// /}" = "noarch" -o -n "$noshlibprovides" ]; then
 		return 0
 	fi
 
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh
index 405be4ac6e7..46552dd940a 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh
@@ -411,7 +411,8 @@ setup_pkg() {
     fi
     makejobs="-j$XBPS_MAKEJOBS"
 
-    if [ -n "$noarch" ]; then
+    # strip whitespaces to make "  noarch  " valid too.
+    if [ "${archs// /}" = "noarch" ]; then
         arch="noarch"
     else
         arch="$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE"
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh
index 1c20a717d04..fcad8cb4d28 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/pkgtarget.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # vim: set ts=4 sw=4 et:
 
 check_pkg_arch() {
-    local cross="$1" _arch f found
+    local cross="$1" _arch f match nonegation
 
-    if [ -n "$only_for_archs" ]; then
+    if [ -n "$archs" -o "${archs// /}" != "noarch" ]; then
         if [ -n "$cross" ]; then
             _arch="$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE"
         elif [ -n "$XBPS_ARCH" ]; then
@@ -11,13 +11,16 @@ check_pkg_arch() {
         else
             _arch="$XBPS_MACHINE"
         fi
-        for f in ${only_for_archs}; do
-            if [ "$f" = "${_arch}" ]; then
-                found=1
-                break
-            fi
+        set -f
+        for f in ${archs}; do
+            set +f
+            nonegation=${f##\~*}
+            f=${f#\~}
+            case "${_arch}" in
+                $f) match=1; break ;;
+            esac
         done
-        if [ -z "$found" ]; then
+        if [ -z "$nonegation" -a -n "$match" ] || [ -n "$nonegation" -a -z "$match" ]; then
             msg_red "$pkgname: this package cannot be built for ${_arch}.\n"
             exit 2
         fi
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/show.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/show.sh
index f2a2b39f4e7..0052293312a 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/show.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/show.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ show_pkg() {
     for i in ${checksum}; do
         [ -n "$i" ] && echo "checksum:	$i"
     done
-    [ -n "$noarch" ] && echo "noarch:		yes"
+    for i in ${archs}; do
+        [ -n "$i" ] && echo "archs:		$i"
+    done
     echo "maintainer:	$maintainer"
     [ -n "$homepage" ] && echo "Upstream URL:	$homepage"
     [ -n "$license" ] && echo "License(s):	$license"