diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/Makefile
index 08a5ca5f418b..b17a82efe6de 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ include $(srctree)/scripts/subarch.include
 ARCH = $(SUBARCH)
 endif
 
+# XARCH and ARCH mapping
+# XARCH is specified by user
+XARCH           ?= $(or $(XARCH_$(ARCH)),$(ARCH))
+
+# ARCH is supported by kernel
+ARCH            := $(or $(ARCH_$(XARCH)),$(XARCH))
+
 # kernel image names by architecture
 IMAGE_i386       = arch/x86/boot/bzImage
 IMAGE_x86_64     = arch/x86/boot/bzImage
@@ -24,7 +31,7 @@ IMAGE_mips       = vmlinuz
 IMAGE_riscv      = arch/riscv/boot/Image
 IMAGE_s390       = arch/s390/boot/bzImage
 IMAGE_loongarch  = arch/loongarch/boot/vmlinuz.efi
-IMAGE            = $(IMAGE_$(ARCH))
+IMAGE            = $(IMAGE_$(XARCH))
 IMAGE_NAME       = $(notdir $(IMAGE))
 
 # default kernel configurations that appear to be usable
@@ -37,10 +44,10 @@ DEFCONFIG_mips       = malta_defconfig
 DEFCONFIG_riscv      = defconfig
 DEFCONFIG_s390       = defconfig
 DEFCONFIG_loongarch  = defconfig
-DEFCONFIG            = $(DEFCONFIG_$(ARCH))
+DEFCONFIG            = $(DEFCONFIG_$(XARCH))
 
 # extra kernel config files under configs/, include common + architecture specific
-EXTCONFIG            = common.config $(ARCH).config
+EXTCONFIG            = common.config $(XARCH).config
 
 # optional tests to run (default = all)
 TEST =
@@ -55,7 +62,7 @@ QEMU_ARCH_mips       = mipsel  # works with malta_defconfig
 QEMU_ARCH_riscv      = riscv64
 QEMU_ARCH_s390       = s390x
 QEMU_ARCH_loongarch  = loongarch64
-QEMU_ARCH            = $(QEMU_ARCH_$(ARCH))
+QEMU_ARCH            = $(QEMU_ARCH_$(XARCH))
 
 # QEMU_ARGS : some arch-specific args to pass to qemu
 QEMU_ARGS_i386       = -M pc -append "console=ttyS0,9600 i8042.noaux panic=-1 $(TEST:%=NOLIBC_TEST=%)"
@@ -67,7 +74,7 @@ QEMU_ARGS_mips       = -M malta -append "panic=-1 $(TEST:%=NOLIBC_TEST=%)"
 QEMU_ARGS_riscv      = -M virt -append "console=ttyS0 panic=-1 $(TEST:%=NOLIBC_TEST=%)"
 QEMU_ARGS_s390       = -M s390-ccw-virtio -m 1G -append "console=ttyS0 panic=-1 $(TEST:%=NOLIBC_TEST=%)"
 QEMU_ARGS_loongarch  = -M virt -append "console=ttyS0,115200 panic=-1 $(TEST:%=NOLIBC_TEST=%)"
-QEMU_ARGS            = $(QEMU_ARGS_$(ARCH)) $(QEMU_ARGS_EXTRA)
+QEMU_ARGS            = $(QEMU_ARGS_$(XARCH)) $(QEMU_ARGS_EXTRA)
 
 # OUTPUT is only set when run from the main makefile, otherwise
 # it defaults to this nolibc directory.
@@ -84,7 +91,7 @@ CFLAGS_mips = -EL
 CFLAGS_STACKPROTECTOR ?= $(call cc-option,-mstack-protector-guard=global $(call cc-option,-fstack-protector-all))
 CFLAGS  ?= -Os -fno-ident -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables -std=c89 \
 		$(call cc-option,-fno-stack-protector) \
-		$(CFLAGS_$(ARCH)) $(CFLAGS_STACKPROTECTOR)
+		$(CFLAGS_$(XARCH)) $(CFLAGS_STACKPROTECTOR)
 LDFLAGS := -s
 
 REPORT  ?= awk '/\[OK\][\r]*$$/{p++} /\[FAIL\][\r]*$$/{if (!f) printf("\n"); f++; print;} /\[SKIPPED\][\r]*$$/{s++} \
@@ -99,24 +106,25 @@ help:
 	@echo "  sysroot      create the nolibc sysroot here (uses \$$ARCH)"
 	@echo "  nolibc-test  build the executable (uses \$$CC and \$$CROSS_COMPILE)"
 	@echo "  libc-test    build an executable using the compiler's default libc instead"
-	@echo "  run-user     runs the executable under QEMU (uses \$$ARCH, \$$TEST)"
+	@echo "  run-user     runs the executable under QEMU (uses \$$XARCH, \$$TEST)"
 	@echo "  initramfs    prepare the initramfs with nolibc-test"
-	@echo "  defconfig    create a fresh new default config (uses \$$ARCH)"
-	@echo "  kernel       (re)build the kernel with the initramfs (uses \$$ARCH)"
-	@echo "  run          runs the kernel in QEMU after building it (uses \$$ARCH, \$$TEST)"
-	@echo "  rerun        runs a previously prebuilt kernel in QEMU (uses \$$ARCH, \$$TEST)"
+	@echo "  defconfig    create a fresh new default config (uses \$$XARCH)"
+	@echo "  kernel       (re)build the kernel with the initramfs (uses \$$XARCH)"
+	@echo "  run          runs the kernel in QEMU after building it (uses \$$XARCH, \$$TEST)"
+	@echo "  rerun        runs a previously prebuilt kernel in QEMU (uses \$$XARCH, \$$TEST)"
 	@echo "  clean        clean the sysroot, initramfs, build and output files"
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "The output file is \"run.out\". Test ranges may be passed using \$$TEST."
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "Currently using the following variables:"
 	@echo "  ARCH          = $(ARCH)"
+	@echo "  XARCH         = $(XARCH)"
 	@echo "  CROSS_COMPILE = $(CROSS_COMPILE)"
 	@echo "  CC            = $(CC)"
 	@echo "  OUTPUT        = $(OUTPUT)"
 	@echo "  TEST          = $(TEST)"
-	@echo "  QEMU_ARCH     = $(if $(QEMU_ARCH),$(QEMU_ARCH),UNKNOWN_ARCH) [determined from \$$ARCH]"
-	@echo "  IMAGE_NAME    = $(if $(IMAGE_NAME),$(IMAGE_NAME),UNKNOWN_ARCH) [determined from \$$ARCH]"
+	@echo "  QEMU_ARCH     = $(if $(QEMU_ARCH),$(QEMU_ARCH),UNKNOWN_ARCH) [determined from \$$XARCH]"
+	@echo "  IMAGE_NAME    = $(if $(IMAGE_NAME),$(IMAGE_NAME),UNKNOWN_ARCH) [determined from \$$XARCH]"
 	@echo ""
 
 all: run
