diff --git a/arch/arch.mk.arc b/arch/arch.mk.arc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5fcffb7f4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/arch.mk.arc
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# -matomic is always required when the ARC core has the atomic extensions
+ifeq ($(BR2_arc)$(BR2_ARC_ATOMIC_EXT),yy)
+ARCH_TOOLCHAIN_WRAPPER_OPTS = -matomic
+endif
diff --git a/package/Makefile.in b/package/Makefile.in
index f05b9cc3aa..0a7899c852 100644
--- a/package/Makefile.in
+++ b/package/Makefile.in
@@ -112,10 +112,6 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_xtensa),y)
 TARGET_ABI += -mlongcalls -mauto-litpools
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_arc)$(BR2_ARC_ATOMIC_EXT),yy)
-TARGET_ABI += -matomic
-endif
-
 STAGING_SUBDIR = $(GNU_TARGET_NAME)/sysroot
 STAGING_DIR    = $(HOST_DIR)/$(STAGING_SUBDIR)