diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index db1ecbdf2cf343578ce2609ff418379b42b1884f..f5405bc220835a540b82533fc4c7fe5a1a5913f6 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ VARFIX  ?= /var/symas
 export DEB_BUILD_MAINT_OPTIONS=hardening=+all
 export DEB_LDFLAGS_MAINT_APPEND=-Wl,-rpath,$(LIBFIX)
 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$(LIBFIX)/pkgconfig
+#set architecture to be x86-64
+export OPTTARGET=x86-64
 
 
 %: