diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/explorer/architecture b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/explorer/architecture
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..4478bc6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/explorer/architecture
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+# __dpkg_architecture/explorer/architecture
+
+# Get the main architecture of this machine
+
+
+# print or die in the gencode-remote
+dpkg --print-architecture || true
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/explorer/foreign-architectures b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/explorer/foreign-architectures
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ff01672a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/explorer/foreign-architectures
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+# __dpkg_architecture/explorer/foreign-architectures
+
+# Print all additional architectures
+
+
+# print or die in the gencode-remote
+dpkg --print-foreign-architectures || true
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/gencode-remote
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..adf9d655
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/gencode-remote
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+# __dpkg_architecture/gencode-remote
+
+
+# Get parameter and explorer
+state_should="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state")"
+arch_wanted="$__object_id"
+main_arch="$(cat "$__object/explorer/architecture")"
+
+# Exit here if dpkg do not work (empty explorer)
+if [ -z "$main_arch" ]; then
+    echo "dpkg is not available or unable to detect a architecture!" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+
+# Check if requested architecture is the main one
+if [ "$arch_wanted" = "$main_arch" ]; then
+    # higher than present; we can not remove it
+    state_is="present"
+    caution="yes"
+
+# Check if the architecture not already used
+elif grep -qFx "$arch_wanted" "$__object/explorer/foreign-architectures"; then
+    state_is="present"
+
+# arch does not exist
+else
+    state_is="absent"
+fi
+
+
+# Check what to do
+if [ "$state_is" != "$state_should" ]; then
+    case "$state_should" in
+        present)
+            # print add code
+            printf "dpkg --add-architecture '%s'\n" "$arch_wanted"
+            # updating the index to make the new architecture available
+            echo "apt update"
+
+            echo added >> "$__messages_out"
+            ;;
+
+        absent)
+            if [ "$caution" ]; then
+                printf "can not remove the main arch '%s' of the system!\n" "$main_arch" >&2
+                exit 1
+            fi
+
+            # removing all existing packages for the architecture
+            printf "apt purge '.*:%s'\n" "$arch_wanted"
+            # print remove code
+            printf "dpkg --remove-architecture '%s'\n" "$arch_wanted"
+
+            echo removed >> "$__messages_out"
+            ;;
+
+        *)
+            printf "state '%s' is unknown!\n" "$state_should" >&2
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+fi
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/man.rst b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/man.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa196229
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/man.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+cdist-type__dpkg_architecture(7)
+================================
+
+NAME
+----
+cdist-type__dpkg_architecture - Handles foreign architectures on debian-like
+systems managed by `dpkg`
+
+
+DESCRIPTION
+-----------
+This type handles foreign architectures on systems managed by
+:strong:`dpkg`\ (1). The object id is the name of the architecture accepted by
+`dpkg`, which should be added or removed.
+
+If the architecture is not setup on the system, it adds a new architecture as a
+new foreign architecture in `dpkg`. Then, it updates the apt package index to
+make packages from the new architecture available.
+
+If the architecture should be removed, it will remove it if it is not the base
+architecture on where the system was installed on. Before it, it will purge
+every package based on the "to be removed" architecture via `apt` to be able to
+remove the selected architecture.
+
+
+REQUIRED PARAMETERS
+-------------------
+None.
+
+
+OPTIONAL PARAMETERS
+-------------------
+state
+    ``present`` or ``absent``. Defaults to ``present``.
+
+
+MESSAGES
+--------
+added
+   Added the specified architecture
+
+removed
+   Removed the specified architecture
+
+
+ABORTS
+------
+Aborts in the following cases:
+
+If :strong:`dpkg`\ (1) is not available. It will abort with a proper error
+message.
+
+If the architecture is the same as the base architecture the system is build
+upon it (returned by ``dpkg --print-architecture``) and it should be removed.
+
+It will fail if it can not execute :strong:`apt`\ (8). It is assumed that it is
+already installed.
+
+
+EXAMPLES
+--------
+
+.. code-block:: sh
+
+  # add i386 (32 bit) architecture
+  __dpkg_architecture i386
+
+  # remove it again :)
+  __dpkg_architecture i386 --state absent
+
+
+SEE ALSO
+--------
+`Multiarch on Debian systems <https://wiki.debian.org/Multiarch>`_
+
+`How to setup multiarch on Debian <https://wiki.debian.org/Multiarch/HOWTO>`_
+
+:strong:`dpkg`\ (1)
+:strong:`cdist-type__package_dpkg`\ (7)
+:strong:`cdist-type__package_apt`\ (7)
+
+Useful commands:
+
+.. code-block:: sh
+
+   # base architecture installed on this system
+   dpkg --print-architecture
+
+   # extra architectures added
+   dpkg --print-foreign-architectures
+
+
+AUTHORS
+-------
+Matthias Stecher <matthiasstecher at gmx.de>
+
+
+COPYING
+-------
+Copyright \(C) 2020 Matthias Stecher. You can redistribute it
+and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ublished by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+License, or (at your option) any later version.
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/parameter/default/state b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/parameter/default/state
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e7f6134f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/parameter/default/state
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+present
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/parameter/optional b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/parameter/optional
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff72b5c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__dpkg_architecture/parameter/optional
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+state