diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b947c1198d..8ac77c729d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	-@echo "LOADOPTS    = $(FFLAGS) $(EXTRALIB)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "CC          = $(CC)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "override CFLAGS      = $(LAPACK_CFLAGS)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
-	-@echo "ARCH        = $(AR)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
+	-@echo "override ARCH        = $(AR)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "ARCHFLAGS   = $(ARFLAGS) -ru" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "RANLIB      = $(RANLIB)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "LAPACKLIB   = ../$(LIBNAME)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
diff --git a/Makefile.system b/Makefile.system
index 4712d95258..53537eb09d 100644
--- a/Makefile.system
+++ b/Makefile.system
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ ifndef TOPDIR
 TOPDIR = .
 endif
 
+# Catch conflicting usage of ARCH in some BSD environments
+ifeq ($(ARCH), amd64)
+override ARCH=x86_64
+endif
+
 NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR = $(TOPDIR)/lapack-netlib
 
 # Default C compiler