diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8817e03..6a6736f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,12 +3,27 @@
 GN ?= ../gn/out/gn
 NINJA ?= ninja
 
+# Configure the build arguments
+GCC ?= false
+ARCH ?= aarch64
+PLATFORM ?= qemu
+
 all: $(OUT)/build.ninja
 	@$(NINJA) -C $(OUT)
 
-out/build.ninja: $(GN)
+$(OUT)/build.ninja: $(GN) $(OUT)/args.gn
 	@$(GN) gen $(OUT)
 
+# Configure the build by loading the configuration arguments for the
+# architecture and platform
+$(OUT)/args.gn: build/arch/$(ARCH)/$(PLATFORM).args
+	@echo Copying config for $(ARCH) on $(PLATFORM)
+	@mkdir -p $(OUT)
+	@echo "arch = \"$(ARCH)\"" >> $@
+	@echo "use_gcc = $(GCC)" >> $@
+	@echo >> $@
+	@cat $< >> $@
+
 $(GN):
 	git clone https://gn.googlesource.com/gn ../gn
 	cd ../gn && python build/gen.py
diff --git a/build/BUILD.gn b/build/BUILD.gn
index 9a0bb6e..73c58b4 100644
--- a/build/BUILD.gn
+++ b/build/BUILD.gn
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import("//build/arch/${arch}/${arch_platform}.gni")
+import("//build/arch/common.gni")
+import("//build/arch/aarch64.gni") # TODO: remove when no dependency on arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address
 
 config("compiler_defaults") {
   cflags = [
@@ -53,9 +54,9 @@
 
     # TODO: this should be arch specific but it is currenly used by the
     # platform generic code to map the memory
-    if (use_pl011) {
+    if (arch_aarch64_use_pl011) {
       defines += [
-        "PL011_BASE=${pl011_base_address}",
+        "PL011_BASE=${arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address}",
       ]
     }
   }
diff --git a/build/BUILDCONFIG.gn b/build/BUILDCONFIG.gn
index 677544e..b330ffb 100644
--- a/build/BUILDCONFIG.gn
+++ b/build/BUILDCONFIG.gn
@@ -21,10 +21,7 @@
   use_gcc = false
 
   # The architecture to build the bare metal images for.
-  arch = "aarch64"
-
-  # The platform to build the bare metal images for.
-  arch_platform = "qemu"
+  arch = ""
 
   # Set by arch toolchain. Prefix for binutils tools.
   arch_tool_prefix = ""
diff --git a/build/arch/aarch64.gni b/build/arch/aarch64.gni
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b8e3d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/arch/aarch64.gni
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+declare_args() {
+  # Whether to include the PrimeCell UART (PL011) driver.
+  arch_aarch64_use_pl011 = false
+
+  # The base address of the PrimeCell UART (PL011) device.
+  arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address = ""
+}
+
+assert(!arch_aarch64_use_pl011 || arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address != "",
+       "Must provide the PL011 base address as \"arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address\".")
diff --git a/build/arch/aarch64/hikey.args b/build/arch/aarch64/hikey.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68261e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/arch/aarch64/hikey.args
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+arch_cpu = "cortex-a57+nofp"
+arch_hypervisor_load_address = "0x01000000"
+
+arch_aarch64_use_pl011 = true
+arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address = "0xf8015000"
diff --git a/build/arch/aarch64/hikey.gni b/build/arch/aarch64/hikey.gni
deleted file mode 100644
index f870611..0000000
--- a/build/arch/aarch64/hikey.gni
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-declare_args() {
-  # The specific CPU that runs the architecture.
-  arch_cpu = "cortex-a57+nofp"
-
-  # The load address of the hypervisor
-  hypervisor_load_address = "0x01000000"
-
-  # Whether to include the PrimeCell UART (PL011) driver.
-  use_pl011 = true
-
-  # The base address of the PrimeCell UART (PL011) device.
-  pl011_base_address = "0xf8015000"
-}
diff --git a/build/arch/aarch64/qemu.args b/build/arch/aarch64/qemu.args
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16d47f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/arch/aarch64/qemu.args
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+arch_cpu = "cortex-a57+nofp"
+arch_hypervisor_load_address = "0x40001000"
+
+arch_aarch64_use_pl011 = true
+arch_aarch64_pl011_base_address = "0x09000000"
diff --git a/build/arch/aarch64/qemu.gni b/build/arch/aarch64/qemu.gni
deleted file mode 100644
index 4962ab8..0000000
--- a/build/arch/aarch64/qemu.gni
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-declare_args() {
-  # The specific CPU that runs the architecture.
-  arch_cpu = "cortex-a57+nofp"
-
-  # The load address of the hypervisor
-  hypervisor_load_address = "0x40001000"
-
-  # Whether to include the PrimeCell UART (PL011) driver.
-  use_pl011 = true
-
-  # The base address of the PrimeCell UART (PL011) device.
-  pl011_base_address = "0x09000000"
-}
diff --git a/build/arch/common.gni b/build/arch/common.gni
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0eb4dc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/arch/common.gni
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+declare_args() {
+  # The specific CPU that runs the architecture.
+  arch_cpu = ""
+
+  # The load address of the hypervisor
+  arch_hypervisor_load_address = ""
+}
+
+assert(arch_cpu != "", "Must provide the CPU to build for as \"arch_cpu\".")
+assert(
+    arch_hypervisor_load_address != "",
+    "Must provide the load address of the hypervisor \"arch_hypervisor_load_address\".")
diff --git a/build/image/hypervisor.gni b/build/image/hypervisor.gni
index a2bd03e..2a2a02a 100644
--- a/build/image/hypervisor.gni
+++ b/build/image/hypervisor.gni
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import("//build/arch/${arch}/${arch_platform}.gni")
+import("//build/arch/common.gni")
 
 # Helper to build a hypervisor image
 template("hypervisor") {
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
       "-pie",
       "-T",
       rebase_path("//build/image/hypervisor.ld"),
-      "--defsym=PREFERRED_LOAD_ADDRESS=${hypervisor_load_address}",
+      "--defsym=PREFERRED_LOAD_ADDRESS=${arch_hypervisor_load_address}",
     ]
     visibility = [ ":${invoker.target_name}" ]
   }
diff --git a/src/arch/aarch64/BUILD.gn b/src/arch/aarch64/BUILD.gn
index 046778c..8506372 100644
--- a/src/arch/aarch64/BUILD.gn
+++ b/src/arch/aarch64/BUILD.gn
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import("//build/arch/${arch}/${arch_platform}.gni")
+import("//build/arch/aarch64.gni")
 import("//build/image/generate_offsets.gni")
 
 source_set("aarch64") {
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     "params.c",
   ]
 
-  if (use_pl011) {
+  if (arch_aarch64_use_pl011) {
     sources += [
       "pl011.c",
     ]