diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 68982ba7bc2f..2626de329e5f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -877,6 +877,9 @@ endif
 # insure the checker run with the right endianness
 CHECKFLAGS += $(if $(CONFIG_CPU_BIG_ENDIAN),-mbig-endian,-mlittle-endian)
 
+# the checker needs the correct machine size
+CHECKFLAGS += $(if $(CONFIG_64BIT),-m64,-m32)
+
 # Default kernel image to build when no specific target is given.
 # KBUILD_IMAGE may be overruled on the command line or
 # set in the environment
diff --git a/arch/alpha/Makefile b/arch/alpha/Makefile
index 2cc3cc519c54..c5ec8c09c0c6 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/Makefile
+++ b/arch/alpha/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 NM := $(NM) -B
 
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux	:= -static -N #-relax
-CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__alpha__ -m64
+CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__alpha__
 cflags-y	:= -pipe -mno-fp-regs -ffixed-8
 cflags-y	+= $(call cc-option, -fno-jump-tables)
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/Makefile b/arch/arm/Makefile
index e4e537f27339..f32a5468d79f 100644
--- a/arch/arm/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/Makefile
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ endif
 KBUILD_CFLAGS	+=$(CFLAGS_ABI) $(CFLAGS_ISA) $(arch-y) $(tune-y) $(call cc-option,-mshort-load-bytes,$(call cc-option,-malignment-traps,)) -msoft-float -Uarm
 KBUILD_AFLAGS	+=$(CFLAGS_ABI) $(AFLAGS_ISA) $(arch-y) $(tune-y) -include asm/unified.h -msoft-float
 
-CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__arm__ -m32
+CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__arm__
 
 #Default value
 head-y		:= arch/arm/kernel/head$(MMUEXT).o
diff --git a/arch/arm64/Makefile b/arch/arm64/Makefile
index 87f7d2f9f17c..3c353b4715dc 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm64/Makefile
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ LDFLAGS		+= -maarch64linux
 UTS_MACHINE	:= aarch64
 endif
 
-CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__aarch64__ -m64
+CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__aarch64__
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARM64_MODULE_PLTS),y)
 KBUILD_LDFLAGS_MODULE	+= -T $(srctree)/arch/arm64/kernel/module.lds
diff --git a/arch/ia64/Makefile b/arch/ia64/Makefile
index 2dd7f519ad0b..45f59808b842 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ia64/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ READELF := $(CROSS_COMPILE)readelf
 
 export AWK
 
-CHECKFLAGS	+= -m64 -D__ia64=1 -D__ia64__=1 -D_LP64 -D__LP64__
+CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__ia64=1 -D__ia64__=1 -D_LP64 -D__LP64__
 
 OBJCOPYFLAGS	:= --strip-all
 LDFLAGS_vmlinux	:= -static
diff --git a/arch/mips/Makefile b/arch/mips/Makefile
index 5e9fce076ab6..e2122cca4ae2 100644
--- a/arch/mips/Makefile
+++ b/arch/mips/Makefile
@@ -309,9 +309,6 @@ ifdef CONFIG_MIPS
 CHECKFLAGS += $(shell $(CC) $(KBUILD_CFLAGS) -dM -E -x c /dev/null | \
 	egrep -vw '__GNUC_(|MINOR_|PATCHLEVEL_)_' | \
 	sed -e "s/^\#define /-D'/" -e "s/ /'='/" -e "s/$$/'/" -e 's/\$$/&&/g')
-ifdef CONFIG_64BIT
-CHECKFLAGS		+= -m64
-endif
 endif
 
 OBJCOPYFLAGS		+= --remove-section=.reginfo
diff --git a/arch/parisc/Makefile b/arch/parisc/Makefile
index 348ae4779f32..714284ea6cc2 100644
--- a/arch/parisc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/parisc/Makefile
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export LIBGCC
 
 ifdef CONFIG_64BIT
 UTS_MACHINE	:= parisc64
-CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__LP64__=1 -m64
+CHECKFLAGS	+= -D__LP64__=1
 CC_ARCHES	= hppa64
 LD_BFD		:= elf64-hppa-linux
 else # 32-bit
diff --git a/arch/sparc/Makefile b/arch/sparc/Makefile
index edac927e4952..966a13d2b127 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/sparc/Makefile
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ else
 # sparc64
 #
 
-CHECKFLAGS    += -D__sparc__ -D__sparc_v9__ -D__arch64__ -m64
+CHECKFLAGS    += -D__sparc__ -D__sparc_v9__ -D__arch64__
 LDFLAGS       := -m elf64_sparc
 export BITS   := 64
 UTS_MACHINE   := sparc64
diff --git a/arch/x86/Makefile b/arch/x86/Makefile
index 60135cbd905c..f0a6ea22429d 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/Makefile
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_X86_32),y)
 else
         BITS := 64
         UTS_MACHINE := x86_64
-        CHECKFLAGS += -D__x86_64__ -m64
+        CHECKFLAGS += -D__x86_64__
 
         biarch := -m64
         KBUILD_AFLAGS += -m64