diff --git a/scripts/package/mkspec b/scripts/package/mkspec
index 70392fd2fd29..f892cf8e37f0 100755
--- a/scripts/package/mkspec
+++ b/scripts/package/mkspec
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ $S	Source: kernel-$__KERNELRELEASE.tar.gz
 	Provides: $PROVIDES
 	# $UTS_MACHINE as a fallback of _arch in case
 	# /usr/lib/rpm/platform/*/macros was not included.
-	%define _arch %{?_arch:$UTS_MACHINE}
+	%{!?_arch: %define _arch $UTS_MACHINE}
 	%define __spec_install_post /usr/lib/rpm/brp-compress || :
 	%define debug_package %{nil}