diff --git a/nix-meson-build-support/default-system-cpu/meson.build b/nix-meson-build-support/default-system-cpu/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd447aa01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix-meson-build-support/default-system-cpu/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+nix_system_cpu = {
+  'ppc64' : 'powerpc64',
+  'ppc64le' : 'powerpc64le',
+  'ppc' : 'powerpc',
+  'ppcle' : 'powerpcle',
+}.get(
+  host_machine.cpu_family(),
+  host_machine.cpu_family(),
+)
diff --git a/src/libstore/meson.build b/src/libstore/meson.build
index 375959643..c243f19c9 100644
--- a/src/libstore/meson.build
+++ b/src/libstore/meson.build
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ configdata_priv = configuration_data()
 # TODO rename, because it will conflict with downstream projects
 configdata_priv.set_quoted('PACKAGE_VERSION', meson.project_version())
 
+subdir('nix-meson-build-support/default-system-cpu')
+
 # Used in public header.
 configdata_pub.set_quoted(
   'NIX_LOCAL_SYSTEM',
-  host_machine.cpu_family() + '-' + host_machine.system(),
+  nix_system_cpu + '-' + host_machine.system(),
   description :
     'This is the system name Nix expects for local running instance of Nix.\n\n'
     + 'See the "system" setting for additional details',
diff --git a/tests/functional/meson.build b/tests/functional/meson.build
index 501ed45c7..b03507c91 100644
--- a/tests/functional/meson.build
+++ b/tests/functional/meson.build
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ dot = find_program('dot', native : true, required : false)
 
 nix_bin_dir = fs.parent(nix.full_path())
 
+subdir('nix-meson-build-support/default-system-cpu')
+
 test_confdata = {
   'bindir': nix_bin_dir,
   'coreutils': fs.parent(coreutils.full_path()),
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ test_confdata = {
   'bash': bash.full_path(),
   'sandbox_shell': busybox.found() ? busybox.full_path() : '',
   'PACKAGE_VERSION': meson.project_version(),
-  'system': host_machine.cpu_family() + '-' + host_machine.system(),
+  'system': nix_system_cpu + '-' + host_machine.system(),
 }
 
 # Just configures `common/vars-and-functions.sh.in`.
diff --git a/tests/functional/nix-meson-build-support b/tests/functional/nix-meson-build-support
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..0b140f56b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/nix-meson-build-support
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../nix-meson-build-support
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/functional/package.nix b/tests/functional/package.nix
index 43f2f25a2..716e21fe4 100644
--- a/tests/functional/package.nix
+++ b/tests/functional/package.nix
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ mkMesonDerivation (
 
     workDir = ./.;
     fileset = fileset.unions [
+      ../../nix-meson-build-support
       ../../scripts/nix-profile.sh.in
       ../../.version
       ../../tests/functional