diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2020-10-16-23-00-21.bpo-42056.ZwUWgu.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2020-10-16-23-00-21.bpo-42056.ZwUWgu.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..2ff3f6ca0af6e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2020-10-16-23-00-21.bpo-42056.ZwUWgu.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Accept arm64 as an architecture for Apple ARM Macs.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 88b78947767fa9a..a02e07109ce4ca2 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -9349,6 +9349,9 @@ fi
     	ppc)
     		MACOSX_DEFAULT_ARCH="ppc64"
     		;;
+    	arm64)
+    		MACOSX_DEFAULT_ARCH="arm64"
+    		;;
     	*)
     		as_fn_error $? "Unexpected output of 'arch' on OSX" "$LINENO" 5
     		;;
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6ffe90a4c426cc5..86c8c58b914b3fc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2490,6 +2490,9 @@ case $ac_sys_system/$ac_sys_release in
     	ppc)
     		MACOSX_DEFAULT_ARCH="ppc64"
     		;;
+    	arm64)
+    		MACOSX_DEFAULT_ARCH="arm64"
+    		;;
     	*)
     		AC_MSG_ERROR([Unexpected output of 'arch' on OSX])
     		;;