diff --git a/arch/parisc/Kconfig b/arch/parisc/Kconfig
index 71034b54d74e..3801a2ef9bca 100644
--- a/arch/parisc/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/parisc/Kconfig
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ config MMU
 config STACK_GROWSUP
 	def_bool y
 
+config ARCH_DEFCONFIG
+	string
+	default "arch/parisc/configs/generic-32bit_defconfig" if !64BIT
+	default "arch/parisc/configs/generic-64bit_defconfig" if 64BIT
+
 config GENERIC_LOCKBREAK
 	bool
 	default y
diff --git a/arch/parisc/Makefile b/arch/parisc/Makefile
index dca8f2de8cf5..628cd8bb7ad8 100644
--- a/arch/parisc/Makefile
+++ b/arch/parisc/Makefile
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ CC_ARCHES	= hppa hppa2.0 hppa1.1
 LD_BFD		:= elf32-hppa-linux
 endif
 
+# select defconfig based on actual architecture
+ifeq ($(shell uname -m),parisc64)
+	KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := generic-64bit_defconfig
+else
+	KBUILD_DEFCONFIG := generic-32bit_defconfig
+endif
+
 export LD_BFD
 
 ifneq ($(SUBARCH),$(UTS_MACHINE))