diff --git a/m4/boinc_platform.m4 b/m4/boinc_platform.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e647114ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/boinc_platform.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+AC_DEFUN([BOINC_PLATFORM],[
+  AC_ARG_WITH([boinc-platform],
+              AC_HELP_STRING([--with-boinc-platform],
+	                      [override the default boinc platform]),
+	      [boinc_platform="$withval"],
+	      [boinc_platform=])
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([boinc platform])
+  if test -z "${boinc_platform}" ; then
+    boinc_platform=`echo $target | $SED -e 's/redhat/pc/' -e 's/[0-9]$//' -e 's/[0-9]$//' -e 's/\.$//' -e 's/[0-9]$//'`
+    case "${boinc_platform}" in
+      sparc-sun-solaris)
+    	if test "$COMPILER_MODEL_BITS" = "64" ; then
+	  boinc_platform=`echo $boinc_platform | $SED 's/sparc/sparc64/'`
+	fi
+        ;;
+      x86_64*linux-gnu)
+        if test "$COMPILER_MODEL_BITS" = "32" ; then
+	  boinc_platform="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
+	fi
+	;;
+    esac
+  fi
+  AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HOSTTYPE],"$boinc_platform",[Platform identification used to identify applications for this BOINC core client])
+  AC_MSG_RESULT($boinc_platform)
+])
+