diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog
index 3b1460ece52..b45624e021d 100644
--- a/gdb/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2003-10-27  Mark Kettenis  <kettenis@gnu.org>
+
+	* arch-utils.c (deprecated_select_gdbarch_hack): New function.
+	(gdbarch_from_bfd): New function.
+	(set_gdbarch_from_file): Re-implement using gdbarch_from_bfd and
+	deprecated_select_gdbarch_hack.
+	* arch-utils.h (gdbarch_from_bfd): New prototype.
+
 2003-10-27  Andrew Cagney  <cagney@redhat.com>
 
 	* osabi.c (gdbarch_init_osabi): Use info.bfd_arch_info instead of
diff --git a/gdb/arch-utils.c b/gdb/arch-utils.c
index ca0f514a549..38ad4862dd1 100644
--- a/gdb/arch-utils.c
+++ b/gdb/arch-utils.c
@@ -496,17 +496,68 @@ set_architecture (char *ignore_args, int from_tty, struct cmd_list_element *c)
   show_architecture (NULL, from_tty);
 }
 
+/* FIXME: kettenis/20031124: Of the functions that follow, only
+   gdbarch_from_bfd is supposed to survive.  The others will
+   dissappear since in the future GDB will (hopefully) be truly
+   multi-arch.  However, for now we're still stuck with the concept of
+   a single active architecture.  */
+
+/* Make GDBARCH the currently selected architecture.  */
+
+static void
+deprecated_select_gdbarch_hack (struct gdbarch *gdbarch)
+{
+  struct gdbarch_info info;
+
+  /* FIXME: kettenis/20031024: The only way to select a specific
+     architecture is to clone its `struct gdbarch_info', and update
+     according to that copy.  This is gross, but significant work will
+     need to be done before we can take a more sane approach.  */
+  gdbarch_info_init (&info);
+  info.bfd_arch_info = gdbarch_bfd_arch_info (gdbarch);
+  info.byte_order = gdbarch_byte_order (gdbarch);
+  info.osabi = gdbarch_osabi (gdbarch);
+  gdbarch_update_p (info);
+  gdb_assert (gdbarch == current_gdbarch);
+}
+
+/* Return the architecture for ABFD.  If no suitable architecture
+   could be find, return NULL.  */
+
+struct gdbarch *
+gdbarch_from_bfd (bfd *abfd)
+{
+  struct gdbarch *old_gdbarch = current_gdbarch;
+  struct gdbarch *new_gdbarch;
+  struct gdbarch_info info;
+
+  /* FIXME: kettenis/20031024: The only way to find the architecture
+     for a certain BFD is by doing an architecture update.  This
+     activates the architecture, so we need to reactivate the old
+     architecture.  This is gross, but significant work will need to
+     be done before we can take a more sane approach.  */
+  gdbarch_info_init (&info);
+  info.abfd = abfd;
+  if (! gdbarch_update_p (info))
+    return NULL;
+
+  new_gdbarch = current_gdbarch;
+  deprecated_select_gdbarch_hack (old_gdbarch);
+  return new_gdbarch;
+}
+
 /* Set the dynamic target-system-dependent parameters (architecture,
    byte-order) using information found in the BFD */
 
 void
 set_gdbarch_from_file (bfd *abfd)
 {
-  struct gdbarch_info info;
-  gdbarch_info_init (&info);
-  info.abfd = abfd;
-  if (! gdbarch_update_p (info))
+  struct gdbarch *gdbarch;
+
+  gdbarch = gdbarch_from_bfd (abfd);
+  if (gdbarch == NULL)
     error ("Architecture of file not recognized.\n");
+  deprecated_select_gdbarch_hack (gdbarch);
 }
 
 /* Initialize the current architecture.  Update the ``set
diff --git a/gdb/arch-utils.h b/gdb/arch-utils.h
index 9d6718040b0..27df54dd1f7 100644
--- a/gdb/arch-utils.h
+++ b/gdb/arch-utils.h
@@ -151,4 +151,9 @@ extern int legacy_register_sim_regno (int regnum);
    default values are not zero.  */
 extern void gdbarch_info_init (struct gdbarch_info *info);
 
+/* Return the architecture for ABFD.  If no suitable architecture
+   could be find, return NULL.  */
+
+extern struct gdbarch *gdbarch_from_bfd (bfd *abfd);
+
 #endif