diff --git a/cmd/image-builder/upload.go b/cmd/image-builder/upload.go
index 64f09e2..ade88ee 100644
--- a/cmd/image-builder/upload.go
+++ b/cmd/image-builder/upload.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func uploaderFor(cmd *cobra.Command, typeOrCloud string, targetArch string, boot
 
 }
 
-func uploaderForCmdAWS(cmd *cobra.Command, targetArch string, bootMode *platform.BootMode) (cloud.Uploader, error) {
+func uploaderForCmdAWS(cmd *cobra.Command, targetArchStr string, bootMode *platform.BootMode) (cloud.Uploader, error) {
 	amiName, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("aws-ami-name")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ func uploaderForCmdAWS(cmd *cobra.Command, targetArch string, bootMode *platform
 		bootModeHybrid := platform.BOOT_HYBRID
 		bootMode = &bootModeHybrid
 	}
+	targetArch, err := arch.FromString(targetArchStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	var missing []string
 	requiredArgs := []string{"aws-ami-name", "aws-bucket", "aws-region"}
diff --git a/cmd/image-builder/upload_test.go b/cmd/image-builder/upload_test.go
index 46c6f8b..bb9a2ba 100644
--- a/cmd/image-builder/upload_test.go
+++ b/cmd/image-builder/upload_test.go
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@ func TestUploadWithAWSMock(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, bucketName, "aws-bucket-2")
 		assert.Equal(t, amiName, "aws-ami-3")
 		expectedBootMode := platform.BOOT_HYBRID
-		assert.Equal(t, &awscloud.UploaderOptions{TargetArch: tc.expectedUploadArch, BootMode: &expectedBootMode}, uploadOpts)
+		targetArch, err := arch.FromString(tc.expectedUploadArch)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, &awscloud.UploaderOptions{TargetArch: targetArch, BootMode: &expectedBootMode}, uploadOpts)
 
 		assert.Equal(t, 0, fa.checkCalls)
 		assert.Equal(t, 1, fa.uploadAndRegisterCalls)
@@ -199,7 +201,7 @@ func TestBuildAndUploadWithAWSMock(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, bucketName, "aws-bucket-2")
 	assert.Equal(t, amiName, "aws-ami-3")
 	expectedBootMode := platform.BOOT_HYBRID
-	assert.Equal(t, &awscloud.UploaderOptions{BootMode: &expectedBootMode, TargetArch: arch.Current().String()}, uploadOpts)
+	assert.Equal(t, &awscloud.UploaderOptions{BootMode: &expectedBootMode, TargetArch: arch.Current()}, uploadOpts)
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, fa.checkCalls)
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, fa.uploadAndRegisterCalls)
 	assert.Equal(t, "fake-img-raw\n", fa.uploadAndRegisterRead.String())