diff --git a/mmdebstrap b/mmdebstrap
index 8de8b3f..9d4bea1 100755
--- a/mmdebstrap
+++ b/mmdebstrap
@@ -3130,7 +3130,6 @@ sub run_setup() {
     # We nevertheless always add /var/lib/dpkg/arch to make a chroot built the
     # normal way bit-by-bit identical to a foreign arch chroot built in
     # chrootless mode.
-    chomp(my $hostarch = `dpkg --print-architecture`);
     if ((!-e "$options->{root}/var/lib/dpkg/arch")) {
         open my $fh, '>', "$options->{root}/var/lib/dpkg/arch"
           or error "cannot open /var/lib/dpkg/arch: $!";