diff --git a/build-utils-meson/set-system/meson.build b/build-utils-meson/set-system/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d708c1a605c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-utils-meson/set-system/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+host_cpu = host_machine.cpu_family()
+if host_cpu in ['x86', 'i686', 'i386']
+  # Meson considers 32-bit x86 CPUs to be "x86", and does not consider 64-bit
+  # x86 CPUs to be "x86" (instead using "x86_64", which needs no translation).
+  host_cpu = 'i686'
+elif host_cpu == 'amd64'
+  # This should not be needed under normal circumstances, but someone could pass a --cross-file
+  # that sets the cpu_family to this.
+  host_cpu = 'x86_64'
+elif host_cpu in ['armv6', 'armv7']
+  host_cpu += 'l'
+endif
+
+host_system = host_machine.cpu_family() + '-' + host_machine.system()
+message('canonical Nix system name:', host_system)
+
+is_linux = host_machine.system() == 'linux'
+is_darwin = host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
+is_freebsd = host_machine.system() == 'freebsd'
+is_x64 = host_machine.cpu_family() == 'x86_64'
diff --git a/src/libstore/meson.build b/src/libstore/meson.build
index 50b15e15dc7..7414712b4c1 100644
--- a/src/libstore/meson.build
+++ b/src/libstore/meson.build
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ configdata = configuration_data()
 # TODO rename, because it will conflict with downstream projects
 configdata.set_quoted('PACKAGE_VERSION', meson.project_version())
 
-configdata.set_quoted('SYSTEM', host_machine.system())
+subdir('build-utils-meson/set-system')
+configdata.set_quoted('SYSTEM', host_system)
 
 deps_private_maybe_subproject = [
 ]