diff --git a/backend.go b/backend.go
index 7fbada5..478911a 100644
--- a/backend.go
+++ b/backend.go
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-//go:build linux && amd64
-// +build linux,amd64
+//go:build linux
+// +build linux
 
 package fakemachine
 
diff --git a/backend_qemu.go b/backend_qemu.go
index ab44790..dacd426 100644
--- a/backend_qemu.go
+++ b/backend_qemu.go
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-//go:build linux && amd64
-// +build linux,amd64
+//go:build linux && (arm64 || amd64)
 
 package fakemachine
 
@@ -35,8 +34,40 @@ func (b qemuBackend) Supported() (bool, error) {
 	return true, nil
 }
 
+type qemuMachine struct {
+	binary  string
+	console string
+	machine string
+	/* Cpu to use for qemu backend if the architecture doesn't have a good default */
+	qemu_cpu string
+}
+
+var qemuMachines = map[Arch]qemuMachine{
+	Amd64: {
+		binary:  "qemu-system-x86_64",
+		console: "ttyS0",
+		machine: "pc",
+	},
+	Arm64: {
+		binary:  "qemu-system-aarch64",
+		console: "ttyAMA0",
+		machine: "virt",
+		/* The default cpu is a 32 bit one, which isn't very usefull
+		 * for 64 bit arm. There is no cpu setting for "minimal" 64
+		 * bit linux capable processor. The only generic setting
+		 * is "max", but that can be very slow to emulate. So pick
+		 * a specific small cortex-a processor instead */
+		qemu_cpu: "cortex-a53",
+	},
+}
+
 func (b qemuBackend) QemuPath() (string, error) {
-	return exec.LookPath("qemu-system-x86_64")
+	machine, ok := qemuMachines[b.machine.arch]
+	if !ok {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unsupported arch for qemu: %s", b.machine.arch)
+	}
+
+	return exec.LookPath(machine.binary)
 }
 
 func (b qemuBackend) KernelRelease() (string, error) {
@@ -166,6 +197,7 @@ func (b qemuBackend) Start() (bool, error) {
 
 func (b qemuBackend) StartQemu(kvm bool) (bool, error) {
 	m := b.machine
+	qemuMachine := qemuMachines[m.arch]
 
 	kernelPath, err := b.KernelPath()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -173,7 +205,7 @@ func (b qemuBackend) StartQemu(kvm bool) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	memory := fmt.Sprintf("%d", m.memory)
 	numcpus := fmt.Sprintf("%d", m.numcpus)
-	qemuargs := []string{"qemu-system-x86_64",
+	qemuargs := []string{qemuMachine.binary,
 		"-smp", numcpus,
 		"-m", memory,
 		"-kernel", kernelPath,
@@ -185,9 +217,13 @@ func (b qemuBackend) StartQemu(kvm bool) (bool, error) {
 		qemuargs = append(qemuargs,
 			"-cpu", "host",
 			"-enable-kvm")
-	}
+	} else if qemuMachine.qemu_cpu != "" {
+		qemuargs = append(qemuargs, "-cpu", qemuMachine.qemu_cpu)
 
-	kernelargs := []string{"console=ttyS0", "panic=-1",
+	}
+	qemuargs = append(qemuargs, "-machine", qemuMachine.machine)
+	console := fmt.Sprintf("console=%s", qemuMachine.console)
+	kernelargs := []string{console, "panic=-1",
 		"systemd.unit=fakemachine.service"}
 
 	if m.showBoot {
diff --git a/backend_uml.go b/backend_uml.go
index 36f48d0..fa5a589 100644
--- a/backend_uml.go
+++ b/backend_uml.go
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-//go:build linux && amd64
-// +build linux,amd64
+//go:build linux
+// +build linux
 
 package fakemachine
 
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ func (b umlBackend) Name() string {
 }
 
 func (b umlBackend) Supported() (bool, error) {
+	// only support amd64
+	if b.machine.arch != Amd64 {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("unsupported arch: %s", b.machine.arch)
+	}
+
 	// check the kernel exists
 	if _, err := b.KernelPath(); err != nil {
 		return false, err
diff --git a/machine.go b/machine.go
index bd94f94..1fdfc35 100644
--- a/machine.go
+++ b/machine.go
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-//go:build linux && amd64
-// +build linux,amd64
+//go:build linux && (arm64 || amd64)
 
 package fakemachine
 
@@ -153,6 +152,23 @@ func realDir(path string) (string, error) {
 	return filepath.Dir(p), nil
 }
 
+type Arch string
+
+const (
+	Amd64 Arch = "amd64"
+	Arm64 Arch = "arm64"
+)
+
+var archMap = map[string]Arch{
+	"amd64": Amd64,
+	"arm64": Arm64,
+}
+
+var archDynamicLinker = map[Arch]string{
+	Amd64: "/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2",
+	Arm64: "/lib/ld-linux-aarch64.so.1",
+}
+
 type mountPoint struct {
 	hostDirectory    string
 	machineDirectory string
@@ -166,6 +182,7 @@ type image struct {
 }
 
 type Machine struct {
+	arch     Arch
 	backend  backend
 	mounts   []mountPoint
 	count    int
@@ -193,6 +210,11 @@ func NewMachineWithBackend(backendName string) (*Machine, error) {
 	var err error
 	m := &Machine{memory: 2048, numcpus: runtime.NumCPU()}
 
+	var ok bool
+	if m.arch, ok = archMap[runtime.GOARCH]; !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported arch %s", runtime.GOARCH)
+	}
+
 	m.backend, err = newBackend(backendName, m)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -669,6 +691,7 @@ func (m *Machine) startup(command string, extracontent [][2]string) (int, error)
 			{Target: "/usr/sbin", Link: "/sbin", Perm: 0755},
 			{Target: "/usr/bin", Link: "/bin", Perm: 0755},
 			{Target: "/usr/lib", Link: "/lib", Perm: 0755},
+			{Target: "/usr/lib64", Link: "/lib64", Perm: 0755},
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			return -1, err
@@ -704,14 +727,14 @@ func (m *Machine) startup(command string, extracontent [][2]string) (int, error)
 		return -1, err
 	}
 
-	/* Amd64 dynamic linker */
-	err = w.CopyFile("/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2")
+	dynamicLinker := archDynamicLinker[m.arch]
+	err = w.CopyFile(prefix + dynamicLinker)
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}
 
 	/* C libraries */
-	libraryDir, err := realDir("/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2")
+	libraryDir, err := realDir(dynamicLinker)
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}