diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 075768d3f2..1c544d5054 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -170,19 +170,6 @@ ifndef SDL-CONFIG
 	CONFIG_INCLUDED:=
 endif
 
-ifdef UNIVERSAL_OTHER_HALF
-	ifndef CC_HOST
-	# we are crosscompiling, so we should remember what compiler we should use for strgen
-		CC_HOST = $(CC)
-	endif
-	CC_TARGET = $(CC_UNI)
-	CFLAGS = $(CFLAGS_UNI)
-	LDFLAGS = $(LDFLAGS_UNI)
-	SDL-CONFIG = $(SDL-CONFIG_UNI)
-	LIBPNG-CONFIG = $(LIBPNG-CONFIG_UNI)
-	LIBS:=
-endif
-
 # this is used if there aren't any Makefile.config
 ifndef CONFIG_INCLUDED
 # sets network on by default if there aren't any config file
@@ -203,6 +190,10 @@ ifdef SUPRESS_LANG_ERRORS
 LANG_ERRORS =  >/dev/null 2>&1
 endif
 
+ifdef OSX
+-include os/MacOSX/Makefile.setup
+endif
+
 ifdef STATIC
 ifndef WIN32
 ifndef OSX
@@ -215,14 +206,6 @@ endif
 endif
 endif
 
-ifdef OSX
-ifdef RELEASE
-# all OSX releases needs to be static
-# end users don't tend to have the dynamic libs installed
-$(warning Compiling a dynamic release. It should be static unless you really know what you are doing!!!)
-endif
-endif
-
 # Force SDL on UNIX platforms
 ifndef WITH_SDL
 ifdef UNIX
diff --git a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
index 362757e075..15780062c1 100644
--- a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
+++ b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
@@ -94,12 +94,18 @@ $(MAKE_CONFIG):
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,)
 
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# Universal binary setup)
-	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# use these settings for the CPU type, that is not covered by the other settings)
-	$(call CONFIG_LINE,CC_UNI:=$(CC_UNI))
-	$(call CONFIG_LINE,CFLAGS_UNI:=$(CFLAGS_UNI))
-	$(call CONFIG_LINE,LDFLAGS_UNI:=$(LDFLAGS_UNI))
-	$(call CONFIG_LINE,SDL-CONFIG_UNI:=$(SDL-CONFIG_UNI))
-	$(call CONFIG_LINE,LIBPNG-CONFIG_UNI:=$(LIBPNG-CONFIG_UNI))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# use these settings for building universal binaries. Most settings should work with the default settings)
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,UNIVERSAL_CFLAGS:=$(UNIVERSAL_CFLAGS))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,UNIVERSAL_LDFLAGS:=$(UNIVERSAL_LDFLAGS))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,SKIP_LIB_TEST:=$(SKIP_LIB_TEST))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,PPC_CC:=$(PPC_CC))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,SDL_PPC_CONFIG:=$(SDL_PPC_CONFIG))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,LIBPNG_PPC_CONFIG:=$(LIBPNG_PPC_CONFIG))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,x86_CC:=$(x86_CC))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,SDL_x86_CONFIG:=$(SDL_x86_CONFIG))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,LIBPNG_x86_CONFIG:=$(LIBPNG_x86_CONFIG))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,x86_SDL_LIB:=$(x86_SDL_LIB))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,)
 
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# For cross-compiling)
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,CC_TARGET:=$(CC_TARGET))
diff --git a/os/macosx/Makefile b/os/macosx/Makefile
index 07f8722dbe..54e55db44a 100644
--- a/os/macosx/Makefile
+++ b/os/macosx/Makefile
@@ -7,26 +7,8 @@ BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY:=build_universal_binary
 COPY_x86_SDL_LIB:=$(Q)cp $(x86_SDL_LIB) $(OSXAPP)/Contents/lib/libSDL-x86.dylib
 endif
 
-# setting the default vars for making universal binaries
-# this can be overwritten in Makefile.config
-# default values are for PPC host and commends are for x86 hosts (so you know what to put in)
-# the absolute path is the one Apple uses in Xcode 2.1
-ifndef CC_UNI
-	# powerpc-apple-darwin8-gcc-4.0.0
-	CC_UNI:=i686-apple-darwin8-gcc-4.0.0
-endif
-
-ifndef CFLAGS_UNI
-	# -arch ppc
-	CFLAGS_UNI:= -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk -arch i386
-endif
-
-ifndef LDFLAGS_UNI
-	LDFLAGS_UNI:= -Wl,-syslibroot,/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk
-endif
-
-ifdef UNIVERSAL_OTHER_HALF
-# if UNIVERSAL_OTHER_HALF is defined, we know that the original makefile call will build the bundle
+ifdef UNIVERSAL_x86_PART
+# the bundle is build by the PPC compile when making universal binaries
 BUILD_OSX_BUNDLE:=
 else
 BUILD_OSX_BUNDLE:=build_OSX_bundle
@@ -40,12 +22,11 @@ endif
 $(BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY): $(TTD)
 	$(Q)mkdir -p temp_binary_dir
 	$(Q)cp $(TTD) temp_binary_dir/$(TTD)_a
-	@echo '===> Cleaning up to build for the other architecture'
-	$(Q)make clean
-	$(Q)make UNIVERSAL_OTHER_HALF:=1
+	$(Q)rm -rf $(TTD) $(OBJS) # delete all .o files so we can compile for a new endian
+	$(Q)make UNIVERSAL_x86_PART:=1
 	$(Q)install_name_tool -change $(x86_SDL_LIB) @executable_path/../lib/libSDL-x86.dylib $(TTD)
 	$(Q)cp $(TTD) temp_binary_dir/$(TTD)_b
-	@echo '===> Joining binaries into one universal one'
+	@echo '===> Joining the PPC and x86 binaries into one universal one'
 	$(Q)lipo temp_binary_dir/$(TTD)_a temp_binary_dir/$(TTD)_b -create -output $(TTD)
 	$(Q)rm -rf temp_binary_dir
 
@@ -53,6 +34,7 @@ $(BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY): $(TTD)
 # the good thing about bundles is that you can keep extra files in them, so we keep lng files and a data dir in it
 
 $(BUILD_OSX_BUNDLE): $(TTD) $(BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY)
+	@echo '===> Building application bundle'
 	$(Q)rm -fr "$(OSXAPP)"
 	$(Q)mkdir -p "$(OSXAPP)"/Contents/MacOS
 	$(Q)mkdir -p "$(OSXAPP)"/Contents/Resources
diff --git a/os/macosx/Makefile.setup b/os/macosx/Makefile.setup
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f41e633077
--- /dev/null
+++ b/os/macosx/Makefile.setup
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+# $Id: Makefile 3214 2005-11-17 19:43:37Z bjarni $
+# This makefile is not a standalone makefile, but is called from the general one
+# it contains code specific to MacOS X
+
+ifdef RELEASE
+ifndef STATIC
+# all OSX releases needs to be static
+# end users don't tend to have the dynamic libs installed
+$(warning Compiling a dynamic release. It should be static unless you really know what you are doing!!!)
+endif
+endif
+
+ifdef RELEASE
+ifndef BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY
+$(warning Compiling a release build, that is not a universal binary)
+endif
+endif
+
+ifdef RELEASE
+ifdef DEBUG
+$(warning Compiling a release build, that is a debug build)
+endif
+endif
+
+# setup flags if none are defined
+ifndef UNIVERSAL_CFLAGS
+	UNIVERSAL_CFLAGS:= -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk
+endif
+ifndef UNIVERSAL_LDFLAGS
+	UNIVERSAL_LDFLAGS:= -Wl,-syslibroot,/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk
+endif
+ifndef PPC_CC
+	PPC_CC:=powerpc-apple-darwin8-gcc-4.0.0
+endif
+ifndef x86_CC
+	x86_CC:=i686-apple-darwin8-gcc-4.0.0
+endif
+ifdef WITH_PNG
+	ifndef LIBPNG_PPC_CONFIG
+		LIBPNG_PPC_CONFIG:=$(LIBPNG-CONFIG)
+	endif
+	ifndef LIBPNG_x86_CONFIG
+		LIBPNG_x86_CONFIG:=$(LIBPNG-CONFIG)
+	endif
+endif
+ifdef WITH_SDL
+	ifndef SDL_PPC_CONFIG
+		SDL_PPC_CONFIG:=$(SDL-CONFIG)
+	endif
+	ifndef SDL_x86_CONFIG
+		SDL_x86_CONFIG:=$(SDL-CONFIG)
+	endif
+endif
+
+ifdef BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY
+	CFLAGS:= $(UNIVERSAL_CFLAGS)
+	LDFLAGS:= $(UNIVERSAL_LDFLAGS)
+
+	# set up config files
+	ifndef SKIP_LIB_TEST
+		ifdef WITH_PNG
+			TEST:=$(shell lipo -info `$(LIBPNG_PPC_CONFIG) --prefix`/lib/libpng.a | xargs -n 1 | grep "ppc"))
+			ifndef TEST
+$(error no PPC libpng found)
+			endif
+			TEST:=$(shell lipo -info `$(LIBPNG_x86_CONFIG) --prefix`/lib/libpng.a | xargs -n 1 | grep "i386"))
+			ifndef TEST
+$(error no x86 libpng found)
+			endif
+		endif
+
+		ifdef WITH_SDL
+			ifdef STATIC
+				ifndef x86_SDL_LIB
+$(error static universal build without a defined x86 SDL lib)
+				endif
+			endif
+			TEST:=$(shell lipo -info `$(SDL_PPC_CONFIG) --prefix`/lib/libSDL.a | xargs -n 1 | grep "ppc"))
+			ifndef TEST
+$(error no PPC SDL lib found)
+			endif
+			TEST:=$(shell lipo -info `$(SDL_x86_CONFIG) --prefix`/lib/libSDL.a | xargs -n 1 | grep "i386"))
+			ifndef TEST
+$(error no x86 SDL lib found)
+			endif
+		endif
+	endif
+
+	ifdef UNIVERSAL_x86_PART
+		CFLAGS += -arch i386
+		LIBPNG-CONFIG:=$(LIBPNG_x86_CONFIG)
+		SDL-CONFIG:=$(SDL_x86_CONFIG)
+		CC_TARGET:=$(x86_CC)
+		# clear the cached list of PPC libs
+		LIBS:=
+	else
+		CFLAGS += -arch ppc
+		LIBPNG-CONFIG:=$(LIBPNG_PPC_CONFIG)
+		SDL-CONFIG:=$(SDL_PPC_CONFIG)
+		CC_TARGET:=$(PPC_CC)
+	endif
+endif