diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 092a3a54..d011b46b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: build with maven
         run: |
           mvn -q -N "io.takari:maven:${{env.IO_TAKARI_MAVEN_WRAPPER_VERSION}}:wrapper" "-Dmaven=${{env.MAVEN_VERSION}}"
-          ./mvnw -B -ntp formatter:validate verify --file pom.xml "-Djava11.home=${{env.JAVA_HOME_11_X64}}"
+          ./mvnw -B -ntp formatter:validate verify --file pom.xml "-Dexpected-cpu=x64" "-Djava11.home=${{env.JAVA_HOME_11_X64}}"
 
   quality:
     needs: [ build ]
diff --git a/cpu/pom.xml b/cpu/pom.xml
index 8dadcccb..651eb81e 100644
--- a/cpu/pom.xml
+++ b/cpu/pom.xml
@@ -12,12 +12,32 @@
 
     <name>SmallRye Common: CPU</name>
 
+    <properties>
+        <expected-cpu/>
+    </properties>
+
+    <dependencies>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
+            <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+    </dependencies>
+
     <build>
         <plugins>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>io.github.dmlloyd.module-info</groupId>
                 <artifactId>module-info</artifactId>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                <configuration>
+                    <systemPropertyVariables>
+                        <expected-cpu>${expected-cpu}</expected-cpu>
+                    </systemPropertyVariables>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
diff --git a/cpu/src/main/java/io/smallrye/common/cpu/CPU.java b/cpu/src/main/java/io/smallrye/common/cpu/CPU.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..050f16c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/src/main/java/io/smallrye/common/cpu/CPU.java
@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+package io.smallrye.common.cpu;
+
+import java.nio.ByteOrder;
+import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
+import sun.misc.Unsafe;
+
+/**
+ * Enumerated type for CPU types.
+ */
+// We should try to support (at least) all of the CPU types defined in jdk.internal.util.Architecture
+public enum CPU {
+
+    // IMPORTANT: Only add new CPU types to the end of the list to preserve ordinal sequence.
+    /**
+     * An unknown 32-bit little-endian CPU.
+     */
+    unknown32(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of(), true),
+    /**
+     * An unknown 32-bit big-endian CPU.
+     */
+    unknown32be(4, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, Set.of(), true),
+    /**
+     * An unknown 64-bit little-endian CPU.
+     */
+    unknown64(8, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("unknown"), true),
+    /**
+     * An unknown 64-bit big-endian CPU.
+     */
+    unknown64be(8, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, Set.of(), true),
+
+    x64(8, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("x86_64", "amd64"), false),
+    x86(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("i386", "i486", "i586", "i686"), false),
+
+    aarch64(8, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("arm64"), false),
+    arm(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("armv7", "armv7hl", "aarch32"), false),
+
+    riscv(8, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("riscv64"), false),
+
+    ppc32(4, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, Set.of("ppc32be"), false),
+    ppc32le(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of(), false),
+    ppc(8, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, Set.of("ppc64", "ppcbe", "ppc64be"), false),
+    ppcle(8, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("ppc64le"), false),
+
+    wasm32(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("wasm"), false),
+
+    // todo: s390
+
+    mips(4, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, Set.of("mips32, mipsbe, mips32be"), false),
+    mipsel(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of("mips32el"), false),
+    mips64(4, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, Set.of("mips64be"), false),
+    mips64el(4, ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, Set.of(), false),
+    ;
+
+    /**
+     * All of the possible CPU values, in order.
+     */
+    public static final List<CPU> values = List.of(values());
+
+    private static final CPU hostCpu;
+
+    // a "map" which is sorted by name, ignoring case
+    private static final List<Map.Entry<String, CPU>> index = values.stream()
+            .flatMap(cpu -> Stream.concat(Stream.of(cpu.name()), cpu.aliases().stream()).map(v -> Map.entry(v, cpu)))
+            .sorted(Map.Entry.comparingByKey(String::compareToIgnoreCase))
+            .collect(Collectors.toUnmodifiableList());
+
+    private final int pointerSizeBytes;
+    private final ByteOrder nativeByteOrder;
+    private final Set<String> aliases;
+    private final boolean unknown;
+
+    CPU(final int pointerSizeBytes, final ByteOrder nativeByteOrder, final Set<String> aliases, final boolean unknown) {
+        this.pointerSizeBytes = pointerSizeBytes;
+        this.nativeByteOrder = nativeByteOrder;
+        this.aliases = aliases;
+        this.unknown = unknown;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return this CPU's pointer size, in bytes}
+     */
+    public int pointerSizeBytes() {
+        return pointerSizeBytes;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return this CPU's pointer size, in bits}
+     */
+    public int pointerSizeBits() {
+        return pointerSizeBytes << 3;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return this CPU's native byte order}
+     */
+    public ByteOrder nativeByteOrder() {
+        return nativeByteOrder;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return other names that this CPU is known by}
+     */
+    public Set<String> aliases() {
+        return aliases;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return <code>true</code> if this CPU is unknown}
+     */
+    public boolean isUnknown() {
+        return unknown;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return the CPU for the given name}
+     * Names are compared case-insensitively.
+     *
+     * @throws NoSuchElementException if no such CPU is found
+     */
+    public static CPU forName(String name) throws NoSuchElementException {
+        CPU cpu = forNameOrNull(name);
+        if (cpu == null) {
+            throw new NoSuchElementException();
+        }
+        return cpu;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return the CPU for the given name or <code>null</code> if it is not found}
+     * Names are compared case-insensitively.
+     */
+    public static CPU forNameOrNull(String name) throws NoSuchElementException {
+        Comparator<String> cmp = String::compareToIgnoreCase;
+
+        int low = 0;
+        int high = index.size() - 1;
+
+        while (low <= high) {
+            int mid = (low + high) >>> 1;
+            Map.Entry<String, CPU> entry = index.get(mid);
+            int res = cmp.compare(entry.getKey(), name);
+
+            if (res < 0) {
+                low = mid + 1;
+            } else if (res > 0) {
+                high = mid - 1;
+            } else {
+                return entry.getValue();
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return the optional CPU for the given name}
+     * Names are compared case-insensitively.
+     */
+    public static Optional<CPU> forNameOpt(String name) throws NoSuchElementException {
+        return Optional.ofNullable(forNameOrNull(name));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@return the host CPU type}
+     */
+    public static CPU host() {
+        return hostCpu;
+    }
+
+    static {
+        hostCpu = forNameOpt(System.getProperty("os.arch", "???")).map(CPU::check).orElseThrow();
+    }
+
+    private static CPU check(CPU cpu) {
+        ByteOrder no = ByteOrder.nativeOrder();
+        // todo: in 22+, bytes = (int) ValueLayout.ADDRESS.byteSize();
+        int bytes = Unsafe.ADDRESS_SIZE;
+        if (cpu.pointerSizeBytes() == bytes && cpu.nativeByteOrder() == no) {
+            // OK
+            return cpu;
+        }
+        // CPU is unknown or doesn't match observed host characteristics
+        return no == ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN ? bytes == 4 ? unknown32be : unknown64be : bytes == 4 ? unknown32 : unknown64;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cpu/src/test/java/io/smallrye/common/cpu/CPUTests.java b/cpu/src/test/java/io/smallrye/common/cpu/CPUTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ca8d65f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/src/test/java/io/smallrye/common/cpu/CPUTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package io.smallrye.common.cpu;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+public final class CPUTests {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCpu() {
+        String expectedCpuName = System.getProperty("expected-cpu");
+        Assumptions.assumeTrue(expectedCpuName != null && !expectedCpuName.isEmpty());
+        Assertions.assertEquals(CPU.host().name(), expectedCpuName);
+    }
+}