diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/boost/generic.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/boost/generic.nix
index 920399ee9d22..1644adb175db 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/boost/generic.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/boost/generic.nix
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ let
     "address-model=${toString stdenv.hostPlatform.parsed.cpu.bits}"
     "architecture=${if stdenv.hostPlatform.isMips64
                     then if versionOlder version "1.78" then "mips1" else "mips"
+                    else if stdenv.hostPlatform.parsed.cpu.name == "s390x" then "s390x"
                     else toString stdenv.hostPlatform.parsed.cpu.family}"
     "binary-format=${toString stdenv.hostPlatform.parsed.kernel.execFormat.name}"
     "target-os=${toString stdenv.hostPlatform.parsed.kernel.name}"