diff --git a/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkpayload.c b/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkpayload.c
index b1dd1c027c..6e6e4188e4 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkpayload.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkpayload.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static void xdr_segs(struct buffer *output,
 	}
 }
 int parse_elf_to_payload(const struct buffer *input,
-			 struct buffer *output, comp_algo algo)
+			 struct buffer *output, uint32_t arch, comp_algo algo)
 {
 	Elf64_Phdr *phdr;
 	Elf64_Ehdr ehdr;
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ int parse_elf_to_payload(const struct buffer *input,
 	if (!compress)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (elf_headers(input, &ehdr, &phdr, &shdr) < 0)
+	if (elf_headers(input, arch, &ehdr, &phdr, &shdr) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	DEBUG("start: parse_elf_to_payload\n");
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkstage.c b/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkstage.c
index 6a5f6f74ca..233ec57deb 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkstage.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/cbfs-mkstage.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
  * works for all elf files, not just the restricted set.
  */
 int parse_elf_to_stage(const struct buffer *input, struct buffer *output,
-		       comp_algo algo, uint32_t *location)
+		       uint32_t arch, comp_algo algo, uint32_t *location)
 {
 	Elf64_Phdr *phdr;
 	Elf64_Ehdr ehdr;
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int parse_elf_to_stage(const struct buffer *input, struct buffer *output,
 
 	DEBUG("start: parse_elf_to_stage(location=0x%x)\n", *location);
 
-	if (elf_headers(input, &ehdr, &phdr, NULL) < 0)
+	if (elf_headers(input, arch, &ehdr, &phdr, NULL) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	headers = ehdr.e_phnum;
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/cbfs.h b/util/cbfstool/cbfs.h
index 92dd84ae84..9a5af5b3b1 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/cbfs.h
+++ b/util/cbfstool/cbfs.h
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ uint32_t get_cbfs_compression(const char *name, uint32_t unknown);
 /* elfheaders.c */
 int
 elf_headers(const struct buffer *pinput,
+	    uint32_t arch,
 	    Elf64_Ehdr *ehdr,
 	    Elf64_Phdr **pphdr,
 	    Elf64_Shdr **pshdr);
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c b/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c
index 9935f51f05..1d93981d72 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/cbfstool.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ static struct param {
 	uint32_t pagesize;
 	uint32_t offset;
 	uint32_t top_aligned;
+	uint32_t arch;
 	int fit_empty_entries;
 	comp_algo algo;
 	/* for linux payloads */
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ static struct param {
 	char *cmdline;
 } param = {
 	/* All variables not listed are initialized as zero. */
+	.arch = CBFS_ARCHITECTURE_UNKNOWN,
 	.algo = CBFS_COMPRESS_NONE,
 };
 
@@ -178,9 +180,13 @@ static int cbfs_add_component(const char *cbfs_name,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int cbfstool_convert_mkstage(struct buffer *buffer, uint32_t *offset) {
+static int cbfstool_convert_mkstage(struct buffer *buffer, uint32_t *offset)
+{
 	struct buffer output;
-	if (parse_elf_to_stage(buffer, &output, param.algo, offset) != 0)
+	int ret;
+	ret = parse_elf_to_stage(buffer, &output, param.arch, param.algo,
+				 offset);
+	if (ret != 0)
 		return -1;
 	buffer_delete(buffer);
 	// direct assign, no dupe.
@@ -192,7 +198,7 @@ static int cbfstool_convert_mkpayload(struct buffer *buffer, uint32_t *offset) {
 	struct buffer output;
 	int ret;
 	/* per default, try and see if payload is an ELF binary */
-	ret = parse_elf_to_payload(buffer, &output, param.algo);
+	ret = parse_elf_to_payload(buffer, &output, param.arch, param.algo);
 
 	/* If it's not an ELF, see if it's a UEFI FV */
 	if (ret != 0)
@@ -334,8 +340,7 @@ static int cbfs_create(void)
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	// TODO Remove arch or pack into param.
-	if (arch == CBFS_ARCHITECTURE_UNKNOWN) {
+	if (param.arch == CBFS_ARCHITECTURE_UNKNOWN) {
 		ERROR("You need to specify -m/--machine arch.\n");
 		return 1;
 	}
@@ -368,7 +373,7 @@ static int cbfs_create(void)
 	}
 
 	if (cbfs_image_create(&image,
-			      arch,
+			      param.arch,
 			      param.size,
 			      param.alignment,
 			      &bootblock,
@@ -701,7 +706,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				verbose++;
 				break;
 			case 'm':
-				arch = string_to_arch(optarg);
+				param.arch = string_to_arch(optarg);
 				break;
 			case 'I':
 				param.initrd = optarg;
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/common.c b/util/cbfstool/common.c
index 715c5df58e..98d9517bf4 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/common.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/common.c
@@ -103,9 +103,6 @@ void buffer_delete(struct buffer *buffer) {
 	buffer->size = 0;
 }
 
-/* FIXME: This global is more difficult to just remove */
-uint32_t arch = CBFS_ARCHITECTURE_UNKNOWN;
-
 static struct {
 	uint32_t arch;
 	const char *name;
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/common.h b/util/cbfstool/common.h
index b8ff4a3c7c..5bcbcbedf8 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/common.h
+++ b/util/cbfstool/common.h
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ int buffer_write_file(struct buffer *buffer, const char *filename);
 /* Destroys a memory buffer. */
 void buffer_delete(struct buffer *buffer);
 
-extern uint32_t arch;
-
 uint32_t string_to_arch(const char *arch_string);
 
 #define ALIGN(val, by) (((val) + (by)-1)&~((by)-1))
@@ -79,7 +77,7 @@ uint64_t intfiletype(const char *name);
 
 /* cbfs-mkpayload.c */
 int parse_elf_to_payload(const struct buffer *input,
-			 struct buffer *output, comp_algo algo);
+			 struct buffer *output, uint32_t arch, comp_algo algo);
 int parse_fv_to_payload(const struct buffer *input,
 			 struct buffer *output, comp_algo algo);
 int parse_bzImage_to_payload(const struct buffer *input,
@@ -92,7 +90,7 @@ int parse_flat_binary_to_payload(const struct buffer *input,
 				 comp_algo algo);
 /* cbfs-mkstage.c */
 int parse_elf_to_stage(const struct buffer *input, struct buffer *output,
-		       comp_algo algo, uint32_t *location);
+		       uint32_t arch, comp_algo algo, uint32_t *location);
 
 void print_supported_filetypes(void);
 
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/elfheaders.c b/util/cbfstool/elfheaders.c
index fd7a1a1575..0d874a1171 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/elfheaders.c
+++ b/util/cbfstool/elfheaders.c
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ elf_shdr(struct buffer *pinput, Elf64_Shdr *shdr,
  */
 int
 elf_headers(const struct buffer *pinput,
+	    uint32_t arch,
 	    Elf64_Ehdr *ehdr,
 	    Elf64_Phdr **pphdr,
 	    Elf64_Shdr **pshdr)