diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7f969303ed49..6d7d7e991c96 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -200,11 +200,9 @@ SRCARCH 	:= $(ARCH)
 # Additional ARCH settings for x86
 ifeq ($(ARCH),i386)
         SRCARCH := x86
-        K64BIT  := n
 endif
 ifeq ($(ARCH),x86_64)
         SRCARCH := x86
-        K64BIT  := y
 endif
 
 KCONFIG_CONFIG	?= .config
@@ -341,7 +339,7 @@ KERNELRELEASE = $(shell cat include/config/kernel.release 2> /dev/null)
 KERNELVERSION = $(VERSION).$(PATCHLEVEL).$(SUBLEVEL)$(EXTRAVERSION)
 
 export VERSION PATCHLEVEL SUBLEVEL KERNELRELEASE KERNELVERSION
-export ARCH SRCARCH K64BIT CONFIG_SHELL HOSTCC HOSTCFLAGS CROSS_COMPILE AS LD CC
+export ARCH SRCARCH CONFIG_SHELL HOSTCC HOSTCFLAGS CROSS_COMPILE AS LD CC
 export CPP AR NM STRIP OBJCOPY OBJDUMP MAKE AWK GENKSYMS PERL UTS_MACHINE
 export HOSTCXX HOSTCXXFLAGS LDFLAGS_MODULE CHECK CHECKFLAGS
 
diff --git a/README b/README
index 592f8a238281..159912cf5155 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -194,8 +194,6 @@ CONFIGURING the kernel:
    "make *config" checks for a file named "all{yes/mod/no/random}.config"
    for symbol values that are to be forced.  If this file is not found,
    it checks for a file named "all.config" to contain forced values.
-   Finally it checks the environment variable K64BIT and if found, sets
-   the config symbol "64BIT" to the value of the K64BIT variable.
    
 	NOTES on "make config":
 	- having unnecessary drivers will make the kernel bigger, and can
diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index 1eb59971af5d..368864dfe6eb 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ mainmenu "Linux Kernel Configuration for x86"
 
 # Select 32 or 64 bit
 config 64BIT
-	bool "64-bit kernel"
-	default n
+	bool "64-bit kernel" if ARCH = "x86"
+	default ARCH = "x86_64"
 	help
 	  Say yes to build a 64-bit kernel - formerly known as x86_64
 	  Say no to build a 32-bit kernel - formerly known as i386
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/conf.c b/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
index c6bee85c3962..a38787a881ea 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/conf.c
@@ -591,7 +591,6 @@ int main(int ac, char **av)
 			conf_read_simple(name, S_DEF_USER);
 		else if (!stat("all.config", &tmpstat))
 			conf_read_simple("all.config", S_DEF_USER);
-		conf_set_env_sym("K64BIT", "64BIT", S_DEF_USER);
 		break;
 	default:
 		break;
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c b/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c
index e4fa3f302541..e0f402f3b75d 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/confdata.c
@@ -145,33 +145,6 @@ static int conf_set_sym_val(struct symbol *sym, int def, int def_flags, char *p)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* Read an environment variable and assign the value to the symbol */
-int conf_set_env_sym(const char *env, const char *symname, int def)
-{
-	struct symbol *sym;
-	char *p;
-	int def_flags;
-
-	p = getenv(env);
-	if (p) {
-		char warning[200];
-		sprintf(warning, "Environment variable (%s = \"%s\")", env, p);
-		conf_filename = warning;
-		def_flags = SYMBOL_DEF << def;
-		if (def == S_DEF_USER) {
-			sym = sym_find(symname);
-			if (!sym)
-				return 1;
-		} else {
-			sym = sym_lookup(symname, 0);
-			if (sym->type == S_UNKNOWN)
-				sym->type = S_OTHER;
-		}
-		conf_set_sym_val(sym, def, def_flags, p);
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int conf_read_simple(const char *name, int def)
 {
 	FILE *in = NULL;
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/lkc_proto.h b/scripts/kconfig/lkc_proto.h
index dca294e90cc3..4d09f6ddefe3 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/lkc_proto.h
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/lkc_proto.h
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 
 /* confdata.c */
 P(conf_parse,void,(const char *name));
-P(conf_set_env_sym,int,(const char *envname, const char *symname, int def));
 P(conf_read,int,(const char *name));
 P(conf_read_simple,int,(const char *name, int));
 P(conf_write,int,(const char *name));