diff --git a/target/linux/malta/Makefile b/target/linux/malta/Makefile
index 9b342c8f5c..eb3c8d3d46 100644
--- a/target/linux/malta/Makefile
+++ b/target/linux/malta/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 BOARD:=malta
 BOARDNAME:=MIPS Malta CoreLV board (qemu)
-CFLAGS:=-Os -pipe -mips32r2 -mtune=mips32r2 -fno-caller-saves
 SUBTARGETS:=le be
 INITRAMFS_EXTRA_FILES:=
 MAINTAINER:=Florian Fainelli <florian@openwrt.org>
diff --git a/target/linux/malta/be/config-default b/target/linux/malta/be/config-default
index ccc0ba4eb1..ed67d802ae 100644
--- a/target/linux/malta/be/config-default
+++ b/target/linux/malta/be/config-default
@@ -1,2 +1,10 @@
+CONFIG_32BIT=y
+# CONFIG_64BIT is not set
 CONFIG_CPU_BIG_ENDIAN=y
 # CONFIG_CPU_LITTLE_ENDIAN is not set
+CONFIG_CPU_MIPS32=y
+# CONFIG_CPU_MIPS32_R1 is not set
+CONFIG_CPU_MIPS32_R2=y
+# CONFIG_CPU_MIPS64_R1 is not set
+# CONFIG_CPU_MIPS64_R2 is not set
+CONFIG_CPU_SUPPORTS_32BIT_KERNEL=y
diff --git a/target/linux/malta/be/target.mk b/target/linux/malta/be/target.mk
index 92ae58eb9d..90b655c8d2 100644
--- a/target/linux/malta/be/target.mk
+++ b/target/linux/malta/be/target.mk
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ ARCH_PACKAGES:=malta_mips
 SUBTARGET:=be
 BOARDNAME:=Big Endian
 FEATURES:=ramdisk mips16
+CFLAGS:=-Os -pipe -mips32r2 -mtune=mips32r2 -fno-caller-saves
 
 define Target/Description
 	Build BE firmware images for MIPS Malta CoreLV board running in
diff --git a/target/linux/malta/le/config-default b/target/linux/malta/le/config-default
index 396e1b75f9..368eca098a 100644
--- a/target/linux/malta/le/config-default
+++ b/target/linux/malta/le/config-default
@@ -1,2 +1,10 @@
+CONFIG_32BIT=y
+# CONFIG_64BIT is not set
 # CONFIG_CPU_BIG_ENDIAN is not set
 CONFIG_CPU_LITTLE_ENDIAN=y
+CONFIG_CPU_MIPS32=y
+# CONFIG_CPU_MIPS32_R1 is not set
+CONFIG_CPU_MIPS32_R2=y
+# CONFIG_CPU_MIPS64_R1 is not set
+# CONFIG_CPU_MIPS64_R2 is not set
+CONFIG_CPU_SUPPORTS_32BIT_KERNEL=y
diff --git a/target/linux/malta/le/target.mk b/target/linux/malta/le/target.mk
index 35fcf4cfe1..3b6e8953d0 100644
--- a/target/linux/malta/le/target.mk
+++ b/target/linux/malta/le/target.mk
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ ARCH_PACKAGES:=malta_mipsel
 SUBTARGET:=le
 BOARDNAME:=Little Endian
 FEATURES:=ramdisk mips16
+CFLAGS:=-Os -pipe -mips32r2 -mtune=mips32r2 -fno-caller-saves
 
 define Target/Description
 	Build LE firmware images for MIPS Malta CoreLV board running in