diff --git a/src/server/gdb_server.c b/src/server/gdb_server.c
index 2b3057a1a..13e5aca6a 100644
--- a/src/server/gdb_server.c
+++ b/src/server/gdb_server.c
@@ -2196,6 +2196,7 @@ static int gdb_generate_target_description(struct target *target, char **tdesc_o
 	int retval = ERROR_OK;
 	struct reg **reg_list = NULL;
 	int reg_list_size;
+	char const *architecture;
 	char const **features = NULL;
 	char const **arch_defined_types = NULL;
 	int feature_list_size = 0;
@@ -2237,6 +2238,12 @@ static int gdb_generate_target_description(struct target *target, char **tdesc_o
 			"<!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM \"gdb-target.dtd\">\n"
 			"<target version=\"1.0\">\n");
 
+	/* generate architecture element if supported by target */
+	architecture = target_get_gdb_arch(target);
+	if (architecture != NULL)
+		xml_printf(&retval, &tdesc, &pos, &size,
+				"<architecture>%s</architecture>\n", architecture);
+
 	/* generate target description according to register list */
 	if (features != NULL) {
 		while (features[current_feature]) {
@@ -2386,6 +2393,8 @@ static int gdb_target_description_supported(struct target *target, int *supporte
 	char const **features = NULL;
 	int feature_list_size = 0;
 
+	char const *architecture = target_get_gdb_arch(target);
+
 	retval = target_get_gdb_reg_list(target, &reg_list,
 			&reg_list_size, REG_CLASS_ALL);
 	if (retval != ERROR_OK) {
@@ -2407,7 +2416,7 @@ static int gdb_target_description_supported(struct target *target, int *supporte
 	}
 
 	if (supported) {
-		if (feature_list_size)
+		if (architecture || feature_list_size)
 			*supported = 1;
 		else
 			*supported = 0;
diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index 3aaebcd49..c1ccf962e 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -1199,6 +1199,13 @@ int target_hit_watchpoint(struct target *target,
 	return target->type->hit_watchpoint(target, hit_watchpoint);
 }
 
+const char *target_get_gdb_arch(struct target *target)
+{
+	if (target->type->get_gdb_arch == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	return target->type->get_gdb_arch(target);
+}
+
 int target_get_gdb_reg_list(struct target *target,
 		struct reg **reg_list[], int *reg_list_size,
 		enum target_register_class reg_class)
diff --git a/src/target/target.h b/src/target/target.h
index fe7e1a7db..5457f0abf 100644
--- a/src/target/target.h
+++ b/src/target/target.h
@@ -472,6 +472,13 @@ int target_remove_watchpoint(struct target *target,
 int target_hit_watchpoint(struct target *target,
 		struct watchpoint **watchpoint);
 
+/**
+ * Obtain the architecture for GDB.
+ *
+ * This routine is a wrapper for target->type->get_gdb_arch.
+ */
+const char *target_get_gdb_arch(struct target *target);
+
 /**
  * Obtain the registers for GDB.
  *
diff --git a/src/target/target_type.h b/src/target/target_type.h
index fbbd57d98..a8928911f 100644
--- a/src/target/target_type.h
+++ b/src/target/target_type.h
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ struct target_type {
 	int (*deassert_reset)(struct target *target);
 	int (*soft_reset_halt)(struct target *target);
 
+	/**
+	 * Target architecture for GDB.
+	 *
+	 * The string returned by this function will not be automatically freed;
+	 * if dynamic allocation is used for this value, it must be managed by
+	 * the target, ideally by caching the result for subsequent calls.
+	 */
+	const char *(*get_gdb_arch)(struct target *target);
+
 	/**
 	 * Target register access for GDB.  Do @b not call this function
 	 * directly, use target_get_gdb_reg_list() instead.