diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_armada_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_armada_linux_gcc
index e365f61d0..487cb2923 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_armada_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_armada_linux_gcc
@@ -18,4 +18,5 @@ implementer_id = '0x56'
 part_number = '0xd08'
 max_lcores = 16
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
 disabled_drivers = ['bus/dpaa', 'bus/fslmc', 'common/dpaax']
diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_bluefield_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_bluefield_linux_gcc
index 4f56790c5..6bef87fbd 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_bluefield_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_bluefield_linux_gcc
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ implementer_id = '0x41'
 part_number = '0xd08'
 max_lcores = 16
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_dpaa_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_dpaa_linux_gcc
index 8641fee63..37398c762 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_dpaa_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_dpaa_linux_gcc
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ implementer_id = 'dpaa'
 part_number = '0xd08'
 max_lcores = 16
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_graviton2_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_graviton2_linux_gcc
index d0bfec87d..cfe239797 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_graviton2_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_graviton2_linux_gcc
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ implementor_id = '0x41'
 implementor_pn = '0xd0c'
 max_lcores = 64
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_n1sdp_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_n1sdp_linux_gcc
index 138ae08c3..b00f2d1ef 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_n1sdp_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_n1sdp_linux_gcc
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ implementer_id = '0x41'
 part_number = '0xd0c'
 max_lcores = 4
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_octeontx2_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_octeontx2_linux_gcc
index 26cf471ad..593769709 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_octeontx2_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_octeontx2_linux_gcc
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ implementer_id = '0x43'
 part_number = '0xb2'
 max_lcores = 36
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
diff --git a/config/arm/arm64_stingray_linux_gcc b/config/arm/arm64_stingray_linux_gcc
index 4f56790c5..6bef87fbd 100644
--- a/config/arm/arm64_stingray_linux_gcc
+++ b/config/arm/arm64_stingray_linux_gcc
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ implementer_id = '0x41'
 part_number = '0xd08'
 max_lcores = 16
 max_numa_nodes = 1
+numa = false
diff --git a/config/arm/meson.build b/config/arm/meson.build
index 9b167267f..492b7e40f 100644
--- a/config/arm/meson.build
+++ b/config/arm/meson.build
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ part_number_config_arm = {
 			['RTE_MACHINE', '"neoverse-n1"'],
 			['RTE_ARM_FEATURE_ATOMICS', true],
 			['RTE_USE_C11_MEM_MODEL', true],
-			['RTE_EAL_NUMA_AWARE_HUGEPAGES', false],
-			['RTE_LIBRTE_VHOST_NUMA', false],
 			['RTE_MAX_MEM_MB', 1048576],
 			['RTE_CACHE_LINE_SIZE', 64],
 			['RTE_MAX_LCORE', 64],
diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index a95567420..5f2f81346 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -143,12 +143,19 @@ endif
 
 # check for libraries used in multiple places in DPDK
 has_libnuma = 0
-numa_dep = cc.find_library('numa', required: false)
-if numa_dep.found() and cc.has_header('numaif.h')
-	dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_HAS_LIBNUMA', true)
-	has_libnuma = 1
-	add_project_link_arguments('-lnuma', language: 'c')
-	dpdk_extra_ldflags += '-lnuma'
+find_libnuma = true
+if meson.is_cross_build() and not meson.get_cross_property('numa', true)
+	# don't look for libnuma if explicitly disabled in cross build
+	check_libnuma = false
+endif
+if find_libnuma
+	numa_dep = cc.find_library('numa', required: false)
+	if numa_dep.found() and cc.has_header('numaif.h')
+		dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_HAS_LIBNUMA', true)
+		has_libnuma = 1
+		add_project_link_arguments('-lnuma', language: 'c')
+		dpdk_extra_ldflags += '-lnuma'
+	endif
 endif
 
 has_libfdt = 0
diff --git a/doc/guides/linux_gsg/cross_build_dpdk_for_arm64.rst b/doc/guides/linux_gsg/cross_build_dpdk_for_arm64.rst
index 210ad4508..063661ebf 100644
--- a/doc/guides/linux_gsg/cross_build_dpdk_for_arm64.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/linux_gsg/cross_build_dpdk_for_arm64.rst
@@ -147,3 +147,7 @@ There are other options you may specify in a cross file to tailor the build::
       disabled_drivers = ['bus/dpaa', 'crypto']  # add disabled drivers
          # valid values are directories (optionally with their subdirs)
          # in the drivers directory
+
+      numa = false        # set to false to force building for a non-NUMA system
+         # if not set or set to true, the build system will build for a NUMA
+         # system only if libnuma is installed
