--- /dev/null
+diff -ur dpkg-1.15.5.6.orig/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm dpkg-1.15.5.6/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm
+--- dpkg-1.15.5.6.orig/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm 2010-01-08 08:00:34.000000000 +0000
++++ dpkg-1.15.5.6/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm 2010-10-17 12:29:46.916000478 +0100
+@@ -47,8 +47,9 @@
+ return $build_arch if defined $build_arch;
+
+ my $build_arch = `dpkg --print-architecture`;
+- # FIXME: Handle bootstrapping
+- syserr("dpkg --print-architecture failed") if $? >> 8;
++ if ($? >> 8 || $build_arch =~ /^\s*$/) {
++ $build_arch = get_raw_host_arch();
++ }
+
+ chomp $build_arch;
+ return $build_arch;