diff --git a/bypy/init_env.py b/bypy/init_env.py
index fd8517acc..31fcdaaae 100644
--- a/bypy/init_env.py
+++ b/bypy/init_env.py
@@ -46,9 +46,12 @@ def run(*args, **extra_env):
     return subprocess.call(list(args), env=env, cwd=cwd)
 
 
+SETUP_CMD = [PYTHON, 'setup.py', '--build-universal-binary']
+
+
 def build_frozen_launcher(extra_include_dirs):
     inc_dirs = [f'--extra-include-dirs={x}' for x in extra_include_dirs]
-    cmd = [PYTHON, 'setup.py', '--prefix', build_frozen_launcher.prefix] + inc_dirs + ['build-frozen-launcher']
+    cmd = SETUP_CMD + ['--prefix', build_frozen_launcher.prefix] + inc_dirs + ['build-frozen-launcher']
     if run(*cmd, cwd=build_frozen_launcher.writeable_src_dir) != 0:
         print('Building of frozen kitty launcher failed', file=sys.stderr)
         os.chdir(KITTY_DIR)
@@ -89,7 +92,7 @@ def build_c_extensions(ext_dir, args):
     with suppress(FileNotFoundError):
         os.unlink(os.path.join(writeable_src_dir, 'kitty', 'launcher', 'kitty'))
 
-    cmd = [PYTHON, 'setup.py', 'macos-freeze' if ismacos else 'linux-freeze']
+    cmd = SETUP_CMD + ['macos-freeze' if ismacos else 'linux-freeze']
     if args.dont_strip:
         cmd.append('--debug')
     dest = kitty_constants['appname'] + ('.app' if ismacos else '')
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index afec4d218..816c0083e 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -250,6 +250,18 @@ def first_successful_compile(cc: str, *cflags: str, src: Optional[str] = None, l
     return ''
 
 
+def set_arches(flags: List[str], arches: Iterable[str] = ('x86_64', 'arm64')) -> None:
+    while True:
+        try:
+            idx = flags.index('-arch')
+        except ValueError:
+            break
+        del flags[idx]
+        del flags[idx]
+    for arch in arches:
+        flags.extend(('-arch', arch))
+
+
 def init_env(
     debug: bool = False,
     sanitize: bool = False,
@@ -261,7 +273,8 @@ def init_env(
     canberra_library: Optional[str] = None,
     extra_logging: Iterable[str] = (),
     extra_include_dirs: Iterable[str] = (),
-    ignore_compiler_warnings: bool = False
+    ignore_compiler_warnings: bool = False,
+    build_universal_binary: bool = False
 ) -> Env:
     native_optimizations = native_optimizations and not sanitize and not debug
     if native_optimizations and is_macos and is_arm:
@@ -345,6 +358,10 @@ def init_env(
     for path in extra_include_dirs:
         cflags.append(f'-I{path}')
 
+    if build_universal_binary:
+        set_arches(cflags)
+        set_arches(ldflags)
+
     return Env(cc, cppflags, cflags, ldflags, library_paths, ccver=ccver)
 
 
@@ -751,7 +768,8 @@ def init_env_from_args(args: Options, native_optimizations: bool = False) -> Non
     env = init_env(
         args.debug, args.sanitize, native_optimizations, args.link_time_optimization, args.profile,
         args.egl_library, args.startup_notification_library, args.canberra_library,
-        args.extra_logging, args.extra_include_dirs, args.ignore_compiler_warnings
+        args.extra_logging, args.extra_include_dirs, args.ignore_compiler_warnings,
+        args.build_universal_binary
     )
 
 
@@ -772,6 +790,8 @@ def safe_makedirs(path: str) -> None:
 
 def build_launcher(args: Options, launcher_dir: str = '.', bundle_type: str = 'source') -> None:
     cflags = '-Wall -Werror -fpie'.split()
+    if args.build_universal_binary:
+        cflags += '-arch x86_64 -arch arm64'.split()
     cppflags = []
     libs: List[str] = []
     if args.profile or args.sanitize:
@@ -1241,6 +1261,11 @@ def option_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:  # {{{
         default=False, action='store_true',
         help='Ignore any warnings from the compiler while building'
     )
+    p.add_argument(
+        '--build-universal-binary',
+        default=False, action='store_true',
+        help='Build a universal binary (ARM + Intel on macOS, ignored on other platforms)'
+    )
     return p
 # }}}
 
@@ -1248,6 +1273,8 @@ def option_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:  # {{{
 def main() -> None:
     global verbose
     args = option_parser().parse_args(namespace=Options())
+    if not is_macos:
+        args.build_universal_binary = False
     verbose = args.verbose > 0
     args.prefix = os.path.abspath(args.prefix)
     os.chdir(base)