diff --git a/lib/train/extras/os_common.rb b/lib/train/extras/os_common.rb
index a82126b2..d3737930 100644
--- a/lib/train/extras/os_common.rb
+++ b/lib/train/extras/os_common.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class OSCommon
     include Train::Extras::DetectWindows
     include Train::Extras::DetectEsx
 
+    attr_accessor :backend
     def initialize(backend, platform = nil)
       @backend = backend
       @platform = platform || {}
diff --git a/lib/train/extras/os_detect_darwin.rb b/lib/train/extras/os_detect_darwin.rb
index 50ff5595..241a10e9 100644
--- a/lib/train/extras/os_detect_darwin.rb
+++ b/lib/train/extras/os_detect_darwin.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ def detect_darwin
       # TODO: ditto on error
       return false if cmd.stdout.empty?
 
+      uname_m = @backend.run_command("uname -m").stdout.chomp
+      return false if uname_m.empty?
+
       name = cmd.stdout[/^ProductName:\s+(.+)$/, 1]
       # TODO: ditto on error
       return false if name.nil?
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@ def detect_darwin
       @platform[:build] = cmd.stdout[/^BuildVersion:\s+(.+)$/, 1]
       # TODO: keep for now due to backwards compatibility with serverspec
       @platform[:family] = 'darwin'
+      @platform[:arch] = uname_m
       true
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/train/extras/os_detect_linux.rb b/lib/train/extras/os_detect_linux.rb
index 3d5ef461..e1be21e3 100644
--- a/lib/train/extras/os_detect_linux.rb
+++ b/lib/train/extras/os_detect_linux.rb
@@ -105,17 +105,21 @@ def family_for_platform
     end
 
     def uname_s
-      @uname_s ||= @backend.run_command('uname -s').stdout
+      @uname_s ||= backend.run_command('uname -s').stdout
     end
 
     def uname_r
       @uname_r ||= (
-        res = @backend.run_command('uname -r').stdout
+        res = backend.run_command('uname -r').stdout
         res.strip! unless res.nil?
         res
       )
     end
 
+    def uname_m
+      @uname_m ||= backend.run_command('uname -m').stdout.chomp
+    end
+
     def redhatish_platform(conf)
       conf[/^red hat/i] ? 'redhat' : conf[/(\w+)/i, 1].downcase
     end
@@ -126,10 +130,20 @@ def redhatish_version(conf)
       conf[/release ([\d\.]+)/, 1]
     end
 
+    def detect_linux_architecture
+      if uname_m.nil? || uname_m.empty?
+        false
+      else
+        @platform[:arch] = uname_m
+        true
+      end
+    end
+
     def detect_linux
       # TODO: print an error in this step of the detection
       return false if uname_s.nil? || uname_s.empty?
       return false if uname_r.nil? || uname_r.empty?
+      return false if !detect_linux_architecture
 
       return true if detect_linux_via_config
       return true if detect_linux_via_lsb
diff --git a/test/unit/extras/os_detect_linux_test.rb b/test/unit/extras/os_detect_linux_test.rb
index 89b901d5..3397570c 100644
--- a/test/unit/extras/os_detect_linux_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/extras/os_detect_linux_test.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@ def initialize
 describe 'os_detect_linux' do
   let(:detector) { OsDetectLinuxTester.new }
 
+  describe '#detect_linux_architecture' do
+    it "sets the arch using uname" do
+      be = mock("Backend")
+      detector.stubs(:backend).returns(be)
+      be.stubs(:run_command).with("uname -m").returns(mock("Output", stdout: "x86_64\n"))
+      detector.detect_linux_architecture.must_equal(true)
+      detector.platform[:arch].must_equal("x84_64")
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#detect_linux_via_config' do
 
     before do