diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index ba68562..a05c7b3 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ multistrap (2.1.17) unstable; urgency=low
   * Improve fakeroot environment variable tests. (Closes: #647240)
   * Implement support to copy an apt preferences file into place.
     (Closes: #616420)
+  * Support not configuring packages for native arch. (Closes: #651885)
 
- -- Neil Williams <codehelp@debian.org>  Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:06:32 +0100
+ -- Neil Williams <codehelp@debian.org>  Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:05:48 +0100
 
 multistrap (2.1.16) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/examples/full.conf b/examples/full.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..872875f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/full.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Example multistrap configuration file describing all options
+
+[General]
+# can be overridden on the command line
+arch=
+# can be overriden on the command line
+directory=
+# same as --tidy-up option if set to true
+cleanup=true
+# same as --no-auth option if set to true
+# keyring packages listed in each debootstrap will
+# still be installed.
+noauth=true
+# whether to add the /suite to be explicit about where apt
+# needs to look for packages. Default is false.
+explicitsuite=false
+# copied into the chroot to be executed later
+configscript=config.sh
+# executed within the chroot (so do not execute foreign binaries in this script)
+setupscript=setup.sh
+# omit packages with Priority: required (care needed)
+omitrequired=false
+# add packages of Priority: important
+addimportant=false
+# avoid running preinst scripts in native mode
+omitpreinst=false
+# apt preferences file
+aptpreferences=pref.conf
+# download the sources for the packages downloaded
+retainsources=false
+# get packages from explicit suites as per the sections (care required)
+explicitsuite=false
+# allow Recommended packages to be seen as strict dependencies
+allowrecommends=false
+# debconf preseed file
+debconfseed=debconf.txt
+# hook directory, executable scripts called:
+# download*, native* or completion*
+hookdir=/path/hooks/
+# multiarch architectures to enable (space separated list)
+multiarch=armel i386
+# include variables from a more generic config file
+include=
+# name of a tarball to create containing the multistrap chroot
+tarballname=rootfs.tgz
+# extract all downloaded archives (default is true)
+unpack=true
+# the order of sections is not important.
+# the debootstrap option determines which repository
+# is used to calculate the list of Priority: required packages.
+debootstrap=Debian
+aptsources=Debian
+
+[Debian]
+packages=apt
+source=http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian
+keyring=debian-archive-keyring
+suite=wheezy
+omitdebsrc=false
+additional=
+reinstall=
+components=main
+
diff --git a/multistrap b/multistrap
index f97459f..69eb035 100755
--- a/multistrap
+++ b/multistrap
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ use vars qw/ $progname $ourversion $dstrap $extra @aptsources
  $omitpreinst @reinstall $tgzname %uniq %required $check @check %uniq
  $explicit_suite $allow_recommends %omitdebsrc @dsclist @sectoutput
  %flatfile %important $addimportant @debconf $hookdir %hooks
- $warn_count $use_shortcut @foreignarches $olddpkg 
+ $warn_count $use_shortcut @foreignarches $olddpkg $ignorenative
  %foreignpkgs $ignorenative /;
 
 setlocale(LC_MESSAGES, "");
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ if ((not defined $arch) or ($arch eq "")) {
 } else {
 	printf (_g("Using foreign architecture: %s\n"), $arch);
 }
-$foreign++ if ($host ne $arch);
+$foreign++ if (($host ne $arch) and (not defined $ignorenative));
 unless (keys %sources) {
 	my $msg = sprintf(_g("No sources defined for a foreign multistrap.
 	Using your existing apt sources. To use different sources,
@@ -1118,6 +1118,8 @@ sub cascade {
 				if (defined $keys{$section}{'omitpreinst'} and (not defined $omitpreinst));
 			$tidy++ if ((defined $keys{$section}{'cleanup'}) and ($keys{$section}{'cleanup'} eq "true"));
 			$noauth++ if ((defined $keys{$section}{'noauth'}) and ($keys{$section}{'noauth'} eq "true"));
+			$ignorenative++ if ((defined $keys{$section}{'ignorenativearch'}) and
+				(lc($keys{$section}{'ignorenativearch'}) eq 'true'));
 			$preffile = lc($keys{$section}{'aptpreferences'})
 				if (defined $keys{$section}{'aptpreferences'} and (not defined $preffile));
 			undef $preffile if ((defined $preffile) and (not -f $preffile));