diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/vmwareapi/test_driver_api.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/vmwareapi/test_driver_api.py
index b83549096d..2c2ef618a7 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/vmwareapi/test_driver_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/vmwareapi/test_driver_api.py
@@ -2144,6 +2144,9 @@ class VMwareAPIVMTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
         }
         inventory = self.pt.data(self.node_name).inventory
         self.assertEqual(expected, inventory)
+        traits = self.pt.data(self.node_name).traits
+        # nova with vmware only supports HW_ARCH_X86_64
+        self.assertEqual(traits, {'HW_ARCH_X86_64'})
 
     def test_invalid_datastore_regex(self):
 
diff --git a/nova/virt/vmwareapi/driver.py b/nova/virt/vmwareapi/driver.py
index bbb00be558..235156adf3 100644
--- a/nova/virt/vmwareapi/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/vmwareapi/driver.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import os
 import re
 
 import os_resource_classes as orc
+import os_traits as ot
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 from oslo_utils import excutils
 from oslo_utils import units
@@ -529,6 +530,11 @@ class VMwareVCDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
         # where cpu traits are added. In the vmware world, this is where we
         # would add nested providers representing tenant VDC and similar.
 
+        # nova with vmware only supports HW_ARCH_X86_64
+        cpu_arch_trait = 'HW_ARCH_X86_64'
+        if cpu_arch_trait in ot.get_traits('HW_ARCH_'):
+            provider_tree.add_traits(nodename, cpu_arch_trait)
+
     def prepare_for_spawn(self, instance):
         """Perform pre-checks for spawn."""
         self._vmops.prepare_for_spawn(instance)