diff --git a/sys/i386/include/param.h b/sys/i386/include/param.h
index 3daffd49962f..fbbb686bcb37 100644
--- a/sys/i386/include/param.h
+++ b/sys/i386/include/param.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	from: @(#)param.h	5.8 (Berkeley) 6/28/91
- *	$Id: param.h,v 1.14 1997/08/23 05:14:23 smp Exp $
+ *	$Id: param.h,v 1.37 1997/08/24 00:04:59 fsmp Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _MACHINE_PARAM_H_
@@ -52,6 +52,16 @@
 #endif
 #define MID_MACHINE	MID_I386
 
+/*
+ * Architecture dependent constants for i386 based machines.
+ */
+#ifdef PC98
+/* NEC PC-9801/9821 series and compatibles. */
+#define	MACHINE_ARCH	"pc-98"
+#else
+/* IBM-PC compatibles. */
+#define	MACHINE_ARCH	"ibm-pc"
+#endif
 
 #ifndef LOCORE
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_mib.c b/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
index 42e2652d78d3..cf9d403f44a7 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	@(#)kern_sysctl.c	8.4 (Berkeley) 4/14/94
- * $Id: kern_mib.c,v 1.8 1997/03/04 18:31:54 bde Exp $
+ * $Id: kern_mib.c,v 1.9 1997/06/25 07:31:47 joerg Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ SYSCTL_INT(_hw, HW_BYTEORDER, byteorder, CTLFLAG_RD, 0, BYTE_ORDER, "");
 
 SYSCTL_INT(_hw, HW_PAGESIZE, pagesize, CTLFLAG_RD, 0, PAGE_SIZE, "");
 
+static char	machine_arch[] = MACHINE_ARCH;
+SYSCTL_STRING(_hw, HW_MACHINE_ARCH, machine_arch, CTLFLAG_RD,
+			  machine_arch, 0, "");
+
 char hostname[MAXHOSTNAMELEN];
 
 SYSCTL_STRING(_kern, KERN_HOSTNAME, hostname, CTLFLAG_RW,
diff --git a/sys/sys/sysctl.h b/sys/sys/sysctl.h
index e4394df0e87d..b1d73bc8b3c4 100644
--- a/sys/sys/sysctl.h
+++ b/sys/sys/sysctl.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	@(#)sysctl.h	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/2/93
- * $Id: sysctl.h,v 1.53 1997/07/12 11:04:25 peter Exp $
+ * $Id: sysctl.h,v 1.54 1997/07/12 11:12:41 peter Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _SYS_SYSCTL_H_
@@ -312,7 +312,8 @@ int sysctl_handle_opaque SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS;
 #define	HW_DISKNAMES	 8		/* strings: disk drive names */
 #define	HW_DISKSTATS	 9		/* struct: diskstats[] */
 #define HW_FLOATINGPT	10		/* int: has HW floating point? */
-#define	HW_MAXID	11		/* number of valid hw ids */
+#define HW_MACHINE_ARCH	11		/* string: machine architecture */
+#define	HW_MAXID	12		/* number of valid hw ids */
 
 #define CTL_HW_NAMES { \
 	{ 0, 0 }, \