diff --git a/include/minix/type.h b/include/minix/type.h
index 7e8c9ff16..5cf9bcef9 100644
--- a/include/minix/type.h
+++ b/include/minix/type.h
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ struct loadinfo {
   clock_t last_clock;
 };
 
+struct cpu_type {
+	u8_t	vendor;
+	u8_t	family;
+	u8_t	model;
+	u8_t	stepping;
+};
+
 struct machine {
   int pc_at;
   int ps_mca;
@@ -131,6 +138,7 @@ struct machine {
   int vdu_vga;
   int apic_enabled; /* does the kernel use APIC or not? */
   phys_bytes	acpi_rsdp; /* where is the acpi RSDP */
+  struct cpu_type	cpu_type;
 };
 
 struct io_range
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/arch_system.c b/kernel/arch/i386/arch_system.c
index fbc9b14e7..14cf4e661 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/arch_system.c
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/arch_system.c
@@ -304,8 +304,43 @@ PUBLIC void restore_fpu(struct proc *pr)
 	}
 }
 
+PRIVATE void cpu_identify(void)
+{
+	u32_t eax, ebx, ecx, edx;
+	
+	eax = 0;
+	_cpuid(&eax, &ebx, &ecx, &edx);
+
+	if (ebx == INTEL_CPUID_GEN_EBX && ecx == INTEL_CPUID_GEN_ECX &&
+			edx == INTEL_CPUID_GEN_EDX) {
+		machine.cpu_type.vendor = CPU_VENDOR_INTEL;
+		printf("Genuine Intel found\n");
+	} else if (ebx == AMD_CPUID_GEN_EBX && ecx == AMD_CPUID_GEN_ECX &&
+			edx == AMD_CPUID_GEN_EDX) {
+		machine.cpu_type.vendor = CPU_VENDOR_AMD;
+		printf("Authentic AMD found\n");
+	} else
+		machine.cpu_type.vendor = CPU_VENDOR_UNKNOWN;
+
+	if (eax == 0) 
+		return;
+
+	eax = 1;
+	_cpuid(&eax, &ebx, &ecx, &edx);
+
+	machine.cpu_type.family = (eax >> 8) & 0xf;
+	if (machine.cpu_type.family == 0xf)
+		machine.cpu_type.family += (eax >> 20) & 0xff;
+	machine.cpu_type.model = (eax >> 4) & 0xf;
+	if (machine.cpu_type.model == 0xf || machine.cpu_type.model == 0x6)
+		machine.cpu_type.model += ((eax >> 16) & 0xf) << 4 ;
+	machine.cpu_type.stepping = eax & 0xf;
+}
+
 PUBLIC void arch_init(void)
 {
+	cpu_identify();
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_APIC
 	/*
 	 * this is setting kernel segments to cover most of the phys memory. The
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/include/archconst.h b/kernel/arch/i386/include/archconst.h
index d66f19275..2019e9c68 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/include/archconst.h
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/include/archconst.h
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@
 #define AMD_CPUID_GEN_EDX	0x69746e65 /* ASCII value of "enti" */
 #define AMD_CPUID_GEN_ECX	0x444d4163 /* ASCII value of "cAMD" */
 
+#define CPU_VENDOR_INTEL	0
+#define CPU_VENDOR_AMD		2
+#define CPU_VENDOR_UNKNOWN	0xff
+
 /* fpu context should be saved in 16-byte aligned memory */
 #define FPUALIGN		16