diff --git a/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake b/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake
index a3b8d52fa72..5cf78980483 100644
--- a/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake
+++ b/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,11 @@
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Darwin)
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR aarch64)
+
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
+    # Clang allows us to cross compile on Mac
+    # so we explicitly specify the arch to the compiler
+    # If you just select the arch toolchain and are on an
+    # x86_64, it will compile for x86_64 mac.
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -arch arm64")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -arch arm64")
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake b/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake
index 0aa93407fbd..47b58dcc854 100644
--- a/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake
+++ b/circuits/cpp/barretenberg/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake
@@ -1,2 +1,11 @@
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Darwin)
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR x86_64)
+
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
+    # Clang allows us to cross compile on Mac
+    # so we explicitly specify the arch to the compiler
+    # If you just select the x86_64 toolchain and are on an
+    # M1/arm64 mac, it will compile for arm64.
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -arch x86_64")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -arch x86_64")
+endif()
diff --git a/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake b/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake
index 8899c4b1c00..227680938b4 100644
--- a/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake
+++ b/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/aarch64-darwin.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Darwin)
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR aarch64)
-set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -arch arm64")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -arch arm64")
\ No newline at end of file
+
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
+    # Clang allows us to cross compile on Mac
+    # so we explicitly specify the arch to the compiler
+    # If you just select the arch toolchain and are on an
+    # x86_64, it will compile for x86_64 mac.
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -arch arm64")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -arch arm64")
+endif()
diff --git a/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake b/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake
index 535814275ba..47b58dcc854 100644
--- a/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake
+++ b/circuits/cpp/cmake/toolchains/x86_64-darwin.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Darwin)
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR x86_64)
-set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -arch x86_64")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -arch x86_64")
+
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
+    # Clang allows us to cross compile on Mac
+    # so we explicitly specify the arch to the compiler
+    # If you just select the x86_64 toolchain and are on an
+    # M1/arm64 mac, it will compile for arm64.
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -arch x86_64")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -arch x86_64")
+endif()