diff --git a/lib/initend.c b/lib/initend.c
index 48073800..cf64a3e3 100644
--- a/lib/initend.c
+++ b/lib/initend.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 int
 xbps_init(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 {
+	struct utsname un;
 	const char *native_arch = NULL;
 	int rv = 0;
 
@@ -88,25 +89,12 @@ xbps_init(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	if (xbps_path_clean(xhp->sysconfdir) == -1)
 		return ENOTSUP;
 
-	/* target architecture */
-	xhp->target_arch = getenv("XBPS_TARGET_ARCH");
-	if (xhp->target_arch && *xhp->target_arch == '\0')
-		xhp->target_arch = NULL;
-
-	/* native architecture */
-	if ((native_arch = getenv("XBPS_ARCH")) && *native_arch != '\0') {
-		if (xbps_strlcpy(xhp->native_arch, native_arch,
-		    sizeof xhp->native_arch) >= sizeof xhp->native_arch)
-			return ENOBUFS;
-	} else {
-		struct utsname un;
-		if (uname(&un) == -1)
-			return ENOTSUP;
-		if (xbps_strlcpy(xhp->native_arch, un.machine,
-		    sizeof xhp->native_arch) >= sizeof xhp->native_arch)
-			return ENOBUFS;
-	}
-	assert(*xhp->native_arch);
+	/* set default native architecture before parsing configuration file */
+	if (uname(&un) == -1)
+		return ENOTSUP;
+	if (xbps_strlcpy(xhp->native_arch, un.machine,
+	    sizeof xhp->native_arch) >= sizeof xhp->native_arch)
+		return ENOBUFS;
 
 	xbps_fetch_set_cache_connection(XBPS_FETCH_CACHECONN, XBPS_FETCH_CACHECONN_HOST);
 
@@ -114,6 +102,19 @@ xbps_init(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	if ((rv = xbps_conf_init(xhp)) != 0)
 		return rv;
 
+	/* target arch only through env var */
+	xhp->target_arch = getenv("XBPS_TARGET_ARCH");
+	if (xhp->target_arch && *xhp->target_arch == '\0')
+		xhp->target_arch = NULL;
+
+	/* allow to overwrite uname(3) and conf file with env variable */
+	if ((native_arch = getenv("XBPS_ARCH")) && *native_arch != '\0') {
+		if (xbps_strlcpy(xhp->native_arch, native_arch,
+		    sizeof xhp->native_arch) >= sizeof xhp->native_arch)
+			return ENOBUFS;
+	}
+	assert(*xhp->native_arch);
+
 	/* Set cachedir */
 	if (xhp->cachedir[0] == '\0') {
 		if (xbps_path_join(xhp->cachedir, sizeof xhp->cachedir,