diff --git a/examples/docker.yml b/examples/docker.yml
index 5e742c74a..ba6831e1d 100644
--- a/examples/docker.yml
+++ b/examples/docker.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/examples/getty.yml b/examples/getty.yml
index 42202ca84..6d1ead4ca 100644
--- a/examples/getty.yml
+++ b/examples/getty.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/examples/minimal.yml b/examples/minimal.yml
index ecad47b9c..cb8dbeaff 100644
--- a/examples/minimal.yml
+++ b/examples/minimal.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/examples/redis-os.yml b/examples/redis-os.yml
index c30cf772f..84dcb7708 100644
--- a/examples/redis-os.yml
+++ b/examples/redis-os.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # connect: nc localhost 6379
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/examples/sshd.yml b/examples/sshd.yml
index ac94573a2..3219f60f7 100644
--- a/examples/sshd.yml
+++ b/examples/sshd.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/examples/swap.yml b/examples/swap.yml
index 973793d89..fb31ae47b 100644
--- a/examples/swap.yml
+++ b/examples/swap.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/linuxkit.yml b/linuxkit.yml
index 60ae3b40b..7dcf9e53c 100644
--- a/linuxkit.yml
+++ b/linuxkit.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 kernel:
   image: linuxkit/kernel:4.9.40
-  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0"
+  cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS0 console=ttyAMA0"
 init:
   - linuxkit/init:906e174b3f2e07f97d6fd693a2e8518e98dafa58
   - linuxkit/runc:90e45f13e1d0a0983f36ef854621e3eac91cf541
diff --git a/src/cmd/linuxkit/run_qemu.go b/src/cmd/linuxkit/run_qemu.go
index 26a08155d..0c4625570 100644
--- a/src/cmd/linuxkit/run_qemu.go
+++ b/src/cmd/linuxkit/run_qemu.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -54,6 +55,19 @@ const (
 	qemuNetworkingDefault        = qemuNetworkingUser
 )
 
+var (
+	defaultArch string
+)
+
+func init() {
+	switch runtime.GOARCH {
+	case "arm64":
+		defaultArch = "aarch64"
+	case "amd64":
+		defaultArch = "x86_64"
+	}
+}
+
 func haveKVM() bool {
 	_, err := os.Stat("/dev/kvm")
 	return !os.IsNotExist(err)
@@ -123,7 +137,7 @@ func runQemu(args []string) {
 
 	// VM configuration
 	enableKVM := flags.Bool("kvm", haveKVM(), "Enable KVM acceleration")
-	arch := flags.String("arch", "x86_64", "Type of architecture to use, e.g. x86_64, aarch64")
+	arch := flags.String("arch", defaultArch, "Type of architecture to use, e.g. x86_64, aarch64")
 	cpus := flags.String("cpus", "1", "Number of CPUs")
 	mem := flags.String("mem", "1024", "Amount of memory in MB")
 
@@ -459,7 +473,11 @@ func buildQemuCmdline(config QemuConfig) (QemuConfig, []string) {
 	// Need to specify the vcpu type when running qemu on arm64 platform, for security reason,
 	// the vcpu should be "host" instead of other names such as "cortex-a53"...
 	if config.Arch == "aarch64" {
-		qemuArgs = append(qemuArgs, "-cpu", "host")
+		if runtime.GOARCH == "arm64" {
+			qemuArgs = append(qemuArgs, "-cpu", "host")
+		} else {
+			qemuArgs = append(qemuArgs, "-cpu", "cortex-a57")
+		}
 	}
 
 	if config.KVM {