diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d1398d6178..efafad52ac 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@
 #
 # Special for crosscompiling there are some commands available:
 #
+# BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY: builds a universal binary for OSX. Make sure you got both PPC and x86 libs
+#
 # ENDIAN_FORCE: forces the endian-check to give a certain result. Can be either BE or LE.
 # WINDRES: the location of your windres
 # CC_HOST: the gcc of your localhost if you are making a target that produces incompatible executables
@@ -165,6 +167,18 @@ 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)
+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
@@ -325,7 +339,7 @@ endif
 
 ifdef OSX
 # these compilerflags makes the app run as fast as possible without making the app unstable. It works on G3 or newer
-BASECFLAGS += -O3 -funroll-loops -fsched-interblock -falign-loops=16 -falign-jumps=16 -falign-functions=16 -falign-jumps-max-skip=15 -falign-loops-max-skip=15 -mdynamic-no-pic -mpowerpc-gpopt -force_cpusubtype_ALL
+BASECFLAGS += -O3 -funroll-loops -fsched-interblock -falign-loops=16 -falign-jumps=16 -falign-functions=16 -falign-jumps-max-skip=15 -falign-loops-max-skip=15 -mdynamic-no-pic
 else
 ifdef MORPHOS
 BASECFLAGS += -I/gg/os-include -O2 -noixemul -fstrict-aliasing -fexpensive-optimizations
@@ -587,6 +601,9 @@ endif
 
 ### Sources
 
+# clean up C_SOURCES first. Needed since building universal binaries on OSX calls the makefile recursively (just one time)
+C_SOURCES:=
+
 C_SOURCES += aircraft_cmd.c
 C_SOURCES += aircraft_gui.c
 C_SOURCES += airport.c
@@ -777,8 +794,9 @@ endif
 
 
 ifdef OSX
+# needs to be before all
 OSX:=OSX
-OSX_MIDI_PLAYER_FILE:=os/macos/OpenTTDMidi.class
+-include os/macosx/Makefile
 endif
 
 
@@ -801,10 +819,6 @@ $(TTD): $(OBJS) $(MAKE_CONFIG)
 	@echo '===> Linking $@'
 	$(Q)$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) $(TTDLDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
-ifdef OSX
--include os/macosx/Makefile
-endif
-
 $(STRGEN): strgen/strgen.c endian_host.h
 	@echo '===> Compiling and Linking $@'
 	$(Q)$(CC_HOST) $(CFLAGS_HOST) $(CDEFS) $< -o $@
diff --git a/endian_check.c b/endian_check.c
index bc564e973c..d838e14f32 100644
--- a/endian_check.c
+++ b/endian_check.c
@@ -11,22 +11,39 @@
 //  care of the real writing to the file.
 
 int main (int argc, char *argv[]) {
-  unsigned char EndianTest[2] = { 1, 0 };
-  int force_BE = 0, force_LE = 0;
+	unsigned char EndianTest[2] = { 1, 0 };
+	int force_BE = 0, force_LE = 0;
 
-  if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "BE") == 0)
-    force_BE = 1;
-  if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "LE") == 0)
-    force_LE = 1;
+	if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "BE") == 0)
+		force_BE = 1;
+	if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "LE") == 0)
+		force_LE = 1;
 
-  printf("#ifndef ENDIAN_H\n#define ENDIAN_H\n");
+	printf("#ifndef ENDIAN_H\n#define ENDIAN_H\n");
 
-  if ( (*(short *) EndianTest == 1 && force_BE != 1) || force_LE == 1)
-    printf("#define TTD_LITTLE_ENDIAN\n");
-  else
-    printf("#define TTD_BIG_ENDIAN\n");
+	if (force_LE == 1) {
+		printf("#define TTD_LITTLE_ENDIAN\n");
+	} else {
+		if (force_BE == 1) {
+			printf("#define TTD_BIG_ENDIAN\n");
+		} else {
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+			// adding support for universal binaries on OSX
+			// Universal binaries supports both PPC and x86
+			printf("#ifdef __BIG_ENDIAN__\n");
+			printf("#define TTD_BIG_ENDIAN\n");
+			printf("#else\n");
+			printf("#define TTD_LITTLE_ENDIAN\n");
+			printf("#endif\n");
+#else
+			if ( *(short *) EndianTest == 1 )
+				printf("#define TTD_LITTLE_ENDIAN\n");
+			else
+				printf("#define TTD_BIG_ENDIAN\n");
+#endif
+		}
+	}
+	printf("#endif\n");
 
-  printf("#endif\n");
-
-  return 0;
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
index 982a91fe56..442eae12aa 100644
--- a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
+++ b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ $(MAKE_CONFIG):
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,MINGW:=$(MINGW))
 	$(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,\# For cross-compiling)
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,CC_TARGET:=$(CC_TARGET))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,CC_HOST:=$(CC_HOST))
diff --git a/os/macosx/Makefile b/os/macosx/Makefile
index 9ce03f5734..1d4a5a0ed7 100644
--- a/os/macosx/Makefile
+++ b/os/macosx/Makefile
@@ -2,10 +2,54 @@
 # This makefile is not a standalone makefile, but is called from the general one
 # it contains targets specific to MacOS X
 
+ifdef UNIVERSAL_OTHER_HALF
+# don't call anything in this file if it is building the 2nd half of an universal binary
+# all that needs to be done will be done with the first call
+OSX:=
+else
+
+ifdef BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY
+BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY:=build_universal_binary
+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
+
+# building an universal binary
+# since we can only compile for PPC or x86 at any one time, we compile one and then
+# we make clean and compile the other one. In the end we use lipo to join them together
+# when this is done, we can continue with the targets from the first run, which is build_OSX_bundle
+
+$(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)cp $(TTD) temp_binary_dir/$(TTD)_b
+	@echo '===> Joining 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
 
 # build the bundle. OSX wants to keep apps in bundles, so we will give it one
 # 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_OSX_bundle: $(TTD) $(BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY)
 	$(Q)rm -fr "$(OSXAPP)"
 	$(Q)mkdir -p "$(OSXAPP)"/Contents/MacOS
 	$(Q)mkdir -p "$(OSXAPP)"/Contents/Resources
@@ -39,4 +83,6 @@ release: all
 
 $(OSX): $(TTD) build_OSX_bundle
 
-.PHONY: release build_OSX_bundle
+.PHONY: release build_OSX_bundle $(BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY)
+
+endif