diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-8-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-8-ppc64le.cfg
index fa42a999c..3ef833f0b 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-8-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-8-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@ config_opts['root'] = 'centos-stream+epel-8-ppc64le'
 config_opts['description'] = 'CentOS Stream 8 + EPEL'
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-9-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-9-ppc64le.cfg
index dba043a9c..a5eb3cf5f 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-9-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-9-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@ config_opts['root'] = 'centos-stream+epel-9-ppc64le'
 config_opts['description'] = 'CentOS Stream 9 + EPEL'
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-8-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-8-ppc64le.cfg
index 941e89e46..75bec6eeb 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-8-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-8-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ config_opts['root'] = 'centos-stream+epel-next-8-ppc64le'
 config_opts['description'] = 'CentOS Stream 8 + EPEL Next'
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-9-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-9-ppc64le.cfg
index a6fcc9872..a83198336 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-9-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream+epel-next-9-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ config_opts['root'] = 'centos-stream+epel-next-9-ppc64le'
 config_opts['description'] = 'CentOS Stream 9 + EPEL Next'
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-8-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-8-ppc64le.cfg
index feb512c86..c8c046340 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-8-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-8-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@ config_opts['root'] = 'centos-stream-8-ppc64le'
 config_opts['description'] = 'CentOS Stream 8'
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-9-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-9-ppc64le.cfg
index 7f9481643..fa5e45bc6 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-9-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/centos-stream-9-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ include('templates/centos-stream-9.tpl')
 config_opts['root'] = 'centos-stream-9-ppc64le'
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-7-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-7-ppc64le.cfg
index 37be2ea95..6c7390913 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-7-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-7-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
 
 config_opts['rhel_product'] = 'power-le'
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-8-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-8-ppc64le.cfg
index 3b87e3c2b..30532727b 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-8-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-8-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ include('templates/rhel-8.tpl')
 
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-9-ppc64le.cfg b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-9-ppc64le.cfg
index a5fb1a54e..480b34758 100644
--- a/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-9-ppc64le.cfg
+++ b/mock-core-configs/etc/mock/rhel-9-ppc64le.cfg
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ include('templates/rhel-9.tpl')
 
 config_opts['target_arch'] = 'ppc64le'
 config_opts['legal_host_arches'] = ('ppc64le',)
+# see pull-request #1195
+config_opts['macros']['%_host_cpu'] = 'ppc64le'
diff --git a/releng/release-notes-next/ppc64le-not-powerpc64le-host-cpu.config b/releng/release-notes-next/ppc64le-not-powerpc64le-host-cpu.config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..930c11860
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releng/release-notes-next/ppc64le-not-powerpc64le-host-cpu.config
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+We [updated the configuration][PR#1195] files for chroots that still use older
+RPM versions (v4.18 and earlier), which affects RHEL/CentOS 9 and older.  These
+older RPM versions were built with an incorrect default for the `%_host_cpu`
+macro in `ppc64le` chroots, where the macro incorrectly resolved to
+`powerpc64le` instead of `ppc64le`.
+
+This incorrect value caused issues during architecture validation, such as when
+checking `ExclusiveArch: ppc64le` for `BuildArch: noarch` packages (done
+in-chroot by `/bin/rpmbuild`).
+
+The incorrect macro value has now been overridden in the relevant `ppc64le`
+configuration files in Mock, ensuring that `ExcludeArch` and `ExclusiveArch`
+validations resolve correctly.