diff --git a/build b/build
index d9fe832dc9e967e603a4f91e65a52b117169268d..bcef09fb877477fdeb85a9c2988424868ddd1c36 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -98,19 +98,24 @@ dch -r -D $dist ""
 
 dh_quilt_patch
 
+if [ -n "$ARCH" ]; then
+  architecture_option="--architecture $ARCH"
+  architecture_suffix="-$ARCH"
+fi
+
 # create or update pbuilder chroot
-basetgz=/var/cache/pbuilder/base-$builddist.tgz
+basetgz=/var/cache/pbuilder/base-${builddist}${architecture_suffix}.tgz
 if [ ! -f $basetgz ]
 then
-	if ! sudo pbuilder create --distribution $builddist --basetgz $basetgz --othermirror "deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security $builddist/updates main" ; then
+	if ! sudo pbuilder create $architecture_option --distribution $builddist --basetgz $basetgz --othermirror "deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security $builddist/updates main" ; then
 		echo "couldn't create chroot"
 		exit 1
 	fi
 else
-	if ! sudo pbuilder update --basetgz $basetgz ; then
+	if ! sudo pbuilder update $architecture_option --basetgz $basetgz ; then
 		echo "couldn't update chroot"
 		exit 1
 	fi
 fi
 
-DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS="nocheck noddebs $DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS" pdebuild --debbuildopts -B -- --basetgz "$basetgz"
+DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS="nocheck noddebs $DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS" pdebuild $architecture_option --debbuildopts -B -- --basetgz "$basetgz"