diff --git a/_config b/_config
index 3d0f0ec..f242af1 100644
--- a/_config
+++ b/_config
@@ -1833,7 +1833,6 @@ Optflags: * -O2 -Wall -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=3 -fstack-protector-st
 %define skelcd_compat 0
 %define _without_aom 1
 %define _without_avif 1
-%define disable_32bit 1
 
 %ifarch s390x
 %define tuneflag zEC12
@@ -1845,6 +1844,10 @@ Macros:
 :Macros
 %endif
 
+# we still need gcc-32bit/glibc-32bit on x86_64 to build some part of the distribution
+# but those packages should not be distributed
+%ifnarch x86_64
+%define disable_32bit 0
 Substitute: glibc-devel-32bit
 Substitute: glibc-devel-static-32bit
 Substitute: gcc-32bit
@@ -1854,13 +1857,20 @@ Substitute: gcc-ada-32bit
 Substitute: gcc5-c++-32bit
 Substitute: gcc6-c++-32bit
 Substitute: gcc-c++-32bit
+%else
+%define disable_32bit 1
+Macros:
+%disable_32bit 1
+:Macros
+%endif
+
+%endif
 
 Macros:
 %suse_version 1600
 %workbench_version 0100
 %is_opensuse 0
 %skelcd_compat 0
-%disable_32bit 1
 %_without_aom 1
 %_without_avif 1
 %build_ldflags %{?_lto_cflags}