diff --git a/kernel/sys.c b/kernel/sys.c
index f8e543f1e38a..88b98ae4afa7 100644
--- a/kernel/sys.c
+++ b/kernel/sys.c
@@ -1262,6 +1262,21 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE0(setsid)
 
 DECLARE_RWSEM(uts_sem);
 
+#ifdef COMPAT_UTS_MACHINE
+static char compat_uts_machine[__OLD_UTS_LEN+1] = COMPAT_UTS_MACHINE;
+
+static int __init parse_compat_uts_machine(char *arg)
+{
+	strncpy(compat_uts_machine, arg, __OLD_UTS_LEN);
+	compat_uts_machine[__OLD_UTS_LEN] = 0;
+	return 0;
+}
+early_param("compat_uts_machine", parse_compat_uts_machine);
+
+#undef COMPAT_UTS_MACHINE
+#define COMPAT_UTS_MACHINE compat_uts_machine
+#endif
+
 #ifdef COMPAT_UTS_MACHINE
 #define override_architecture(name) \
 	(personality(current->personality) == PER_LINUX32 && \