diff --git a/recipes-extended/xen/xen-arch.inc b/recipes-extended/xen/xen-arch.inc
index bcf9f54b..fb0093e3 100644
--- a/recipes-extended/xen/xen-arch.inc
+++ b/recipes-extended/xen/xen-arch.inc
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@ def map_xen_arch(a, d):
     elif re.match("aarch64.*", a):   return "arm64"
     elif a in valid_archs:           return a
     else:
-        bb.error("cannot map '%s' to a xen architecture" % a)
+        return "INVALID"
 
diff --git a/recipes-extended/xen/xen.inc b/recipes-extended/xen/xen.inc
index 0e4136aa..432bf4d4 100644
--- a/recipes-extended/xen/xen.inc
+++ b/recipes-extended/xen/xen.inc
@@ -663,6 +663,11 @@ export STAGING_LIBDIR
 export XEN_TARGET_ARCH = "${@map_xen_arch(d.getVar('TARGET_ARCH', True), d)}"
 export XEN_COMPILE_ARCH = "${@map_xen_arch(d.getVar('BUILD_ARCH', True), d)}"
 
+python () {
+    if d.getVar('XEN_TARGET_ARCH', True) == 'INVALID':
+        raise bb.parse.SkipPackage('Cannot map `%s` to a xen architecture' % d.getVar('TARGET_ARCH', True))
+}
+
 # hardcoded as Linux, as the only compatible hosts are Linux.
 export XEN_OS = "Linux"