diff --git a/config/arm/meson.build b/config/arm/meson.build
index b49203fa8..4fd32f0ca 100644
--- a/config/arm/meson.build
+++ b/config/arm/meson.build
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright(c) 2017 Intel Corporation.
 # Copyright(c) 2017 Cavium, Inc
+# Copyright(c) 2020 PANTHEON.tech s.r.o.
 
 # for checking defines we need to use the correct compiler flags
 march_opt = '-march=@0@'.format(machine)
 
 arm_force_native_march = false
-arm_force_default_march = (machine == 'default')
+arm_force_generic_march = (machine == 'generic')
 
 flags_common_default = [
 	# Accelarate rte_memcpy. Be sure to run unit test (memcpy_perf_autotest)
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ else
 	cmd_generic = ['generic', '', '', 'default', '']
 	cmd_output = cmd_generic # Set generic by default
 	machine_args = [] # Clear previous machine args
-	if arm_force_default_march and not meson.is_cross_build()
+	if arm_force_generic_march and not meson.is_cross_build()
 		machine = impl_generic
 		impl_pn = 'default'
 	elif not meson.is_cross_build()
diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index 258b01d06..c7f7aa6e2 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -68,13 +68,14 @@ else
 	machine = get_option('machine')
 endif
 
-# machine type 'default' is special, it defaults to the per arch agreed common
-# minimal baseline needed for DPDK.
+# machine type 'generic' is special, it defaults to the per arch agreed common
+# minimal baseline needed for DPDK. Machine type 'default' is also supported
+# with the same meaning for backwards compatibility.
 # That might not be the most optimized, but the most portable version while
 # still being able to support the CPU features required for DPDK.
 # This can be bumped up by the DPDK project, but it can never be an
 # invariant like 'native'
-if machine == 'default'
+if machine == 'default' or machine == 'generic'
 	if host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('x86')
 		# matches the old pre-meson build systems default
 		machine = 'corei7'
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ if machine == 'default'
 		machine = 'armv7-a'
 	elif host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('aarch')
 		# arm64 manages defaults in config/arm/meson.build
-		machine = 'default'
+		machine = 'generic'
 	elif host_machine.cpu_family().startswith('ppc')
 		machine = 'power8'
 	endif
diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/build-sdk-meson.rst b/doc/guides/prog_guide/build-sdk-meson.rst
index 3429e2647..c7e12eedf 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/build-sdk-meson.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/build-sdk-meson.rst
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Project-specific options are passed used -Doption=value::
 
 	meson -Denable_docs=true fullbuild  # build and install docs
 
-	meson -Dmachine=default  # use builder-independent baseline -march
+	meson -Dmachine=generic  # use builder-independent baseline -march
 
 	meson -Ddisable_drivers=event/*,net/tap  # disable tap driver and all
 					# eventdev PMDs for a smaller build
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ Examples of setting some of the same options using meson configure::
         re-scan from meson.
 
 .. note::
-        machine=default uses a config that works on all supported architectures
+        machine=generic uses a config that works on all supported architectures
         regardless of the capabilities of the machine where the build is happening.
 
 As well as those settings taken from ``meson configure``, other options
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 9bf18ab6b..ce23289e3 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ option('kernel_dir', type: 'string', value: '',
 option('lib_musdk_dir', type: 'string', value: '',
 	description: 'path to the MUSDK library installation directory')
 option('machine', type: 'string', value: 'native',
-	description: 'set the target machine type')
+	description: 'set the target machine type. Set to generic for a build usable on most machines of the build machine architecture, set to native to let the compiler choose the best fit for the build machine.')
 option('max_ethports', type: 'integer', value: 32,
 	description: 'maximum number of Ethernet devices')
 option('max_lcores', type: 'integer', value: 128,
