diff --git a/client/client_state.C b/client/client_state.C
index 8c01564a059..d904fdbafdc 100644
--- a/client/client_state.C
+++ b/client/client_state.C
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ CLIENT_STATE::CLIENT_STATE() {
     core_client_version.minor = BOINC_MINOR_VERSION;
     core_client_version.release = BOINC_RELEASE;
     platform_name = HOSTTYPE;
-#ifdef _WIN64
+#ifdef HOSTTYPEALT
     alt_platform_name = HOSTTYPEALT;
 #endif
     exit_after_app_start_secs = 0;
diff --git a/client/client_state.h b/client/client_state.h
index 8a10d86f813..2e44ab58495 100644
--- a/client/client_state.h
+++ b/client/client_state.h
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class CLIENT_STATE {
     bool run_by_updater;
     double now;
     const char* platform_name;
-#ifdef _WIN64
+#ifdef HOSTTYPEALT
     const char* alt_platform_name;
 #endif
     bool initialized;
diff --git a/client/cs_scheduler.C b/client/cs_scheduler.C
index e655c002b29..651137ff7a2 100644
--- a/client/cs_scheduler.C
+++ b/client/cs_scheduler.C
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ int CLIENT_STATE::make_scheduler_request(PROJECT* p) {
         "    <hostid>%d</hostid>\n"
         "    <rpc_seqno>%d</rpc_seqno>\n"
         "    <platform_name>%s</platform_name>\n"
-#ifdef _WIN64
+#ifdef HOSTTYPEALT
         "    <alt_platform>\n"
 		"        <name>%s</name>\n"
 		"    </alt_platform>\n"
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ int CLIENT_STATE::make_scheduler_request(PROJECT* p) {
         p->hostid,
         p->rpc_seqno,
         p->anonymous_platform?"anonymous":platform_name,
-#ifdef _WIN64
+#ifdef HOSTTYPEALT
 		alt_platform_name,
 #endif
         core_client_version.major,
diff --git a/m4/boinc_platform.m4 b/m4/boinc_platform.m4
index 2b700a70a86..9a0ee4fc3fd 100644
--- a/m4/boinc_platform.m4
+++ b/m4/boinc_platform.m4
@@ -4,24 +4,52 @@ AC_DEFUN([BOINC_PLATFORM],[
 	                      [override the default boinc platform]),
 	      [boinc_platform="$withval"],
 	      [boinc_platform=])
+  AC_ARG_WITH([boinc-alt-platform],
+              AC_HELP_STRING([--with-boinc-alt-platform],
+	                      [override the boinc alterate platform]),
+	      [boinc_alt_platform="$withval"],
+	      [boinc_alt_platform=])
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([boinc platform])
   if test -z "${boinc_platform}" ; then
-    boinc_platform=`echo $target | $SED -e 's/redhat/pc/' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//' -e 's/\.$//' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//' -e 's/\.$//' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//'`
+    boinc_platform=`echo $target | $SED -e 's/redhat/pc/' -e 's/x86_64-unknown/x86_64-pc/' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//' -e 's/\.$//' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//' -e 's/\.$//' -e 's/[[0-9]]$//'`
     case "${boinc_platform}" in
       sparc-sun-solaris)
     	if test "$COMPILER_MODEL_BITS" = "64" ; then
 	  boinc_platform=`echo $boinc_platform | $SED 's/sparc/sparc64/'`
+	  if test -z "$boinc_alt_platform" ; then
+	    boinc_alt_platform=sparc-sun-solaris
+	  fi
+	elif test -z "$boinc_alt_platform" ; then
+	    boinc_alt_platform=sparc-sun-solaris2.7
 	fi
         ;;
       x86_64*linux-gnu)
         if test "$COMPILER_MODEL_BITS" = "32" ; then
 	  boinc_platform="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
+	elif test -z "$boinc_alt_platform" ; then
+	  boinc_alt_platform="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
+	fi
+	;;
+      powerpc-apple-darwin)
+        if test "$COMPILER_MODEL_BITS" = "64" ; then
+	  boinc_platform="powerpc64-apple-darwin"
+	  if test -z "$boinc_alt_platform" ; then
+	    boinc_alt_platform="powerpc-apple-darwin"
+	  fi
 	fi
 	;;
     esac
   fi
   AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HOSTTYPE],"$boinc_platform",[Platform identification used to identify applications for this BOINC core client])
   AC_SUBST([boinc_platform],$boinc_platform)
-  AC_MSG_RESULT($boinc_platform)
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([$boinc_platform])
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([alternate boinc platform])
+  if test -n "$boinc_alt_platform" ; then
+     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HOSTTYPEALT],"$boinc_alt_platform",[Alternate identification used to identify applications for this BOINC core client])
+     AC_SUBST([boinc_alt_platform],$boinc_alt_platform)
+     AC_MSG_RESULT($boinc_alt_platform)
+  else
+     AC_MSG_RESULT(none)
+  fi
 ])
     
diff --git a/sched/Makefile.am b/sched/Makefile.am
index 9ff3f41787a..97052d3b0cf 100644
--- a/sched/Makefile.am
+++ b/sched/Makefile.am
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ EXTRA_PROGRAMS = fcgi \
 # scripts that 'make install' should put in bindir
 bin_SCRIPTS = start stop status
 
-LDADD = -L. -lsched $(MYSQL_LIBS) $(BOINC_LIB) $(PTHREAD_LIBS)
+LDADD = -L. -lsched   $(MYSQL_LIBS) $(BOINC_LIB) $(PTHREAD_LIBS) 
 
 LIB_SCHED = libsched.a