diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7ee32b93e9..821b20ac3b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ PKG := github.com/heptio/ark
 REGISTRY ?= gcr.io/heptio-images
 
 # Which architecture to build - see $(ALL_ARCH) for options.
+# if the 'local' rule is being run, detect the ARCH from 'go env'
+# if it wasn't specified by the caller.
+local : ARCH ?= $(shell go env GOOS)-$(shell go env GOARCH)
 ARCH ?= linux-amd64
 
 VERSION ?= master
@@ -79,6 +82,15 @@ all-build: $(addprefix build-, $(CLI_PLATFORMS))
 
 #all-push: $(addprefix push-, $(CONTAINER_PLATFORMS))
 
+local: build-dirs
+	GOOS=$(GOOS) \
+	GOARCH=$(GOARCH) \
+	VERSION=$(VERSION) \
+	PKG=$(PKG) \
+	BIN=$(BIN) \
+	OUTPUT_DIR=$$(pwd)/_output/bin/$(GOOS)/$(GOARCH) \
+	./hack/build.sh
+
 build: _output/bin/$(GOOS)/$(GOARCH)/$(BIN)
 
 _output/bin/$(GOOS)/$(GOARCH)/$(BIN): build-dirs
@@ -153,6 +165,11 @@ ifneq ($(SKIP_TESTS), 1)
 	@$(MAKE) shell CMD="-c 'hack/test.sh $(SRC_DIRS)'"
 endif
 
+test-local: build-dirs
+ifneq ($(SKIP_TESTS), 1)
+	hack/test.sh $(SRC_DIRS)
+endif
+
 verify:
 ifneq ($(SKIP_TESTS), 1)
 	@$(MAKE) shell CMD="-c 'hack/verify-all.sh'"
diff --git a/docs/build-from-scratch.md b/docs/build-from-scratch.md
index 95c3477a5d..17e9337a1c 100644
--- a/docs/build-from-scratch.md
+++ b/docs/build-from-scratch.md
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ Run [generate-proto.sh][13] to regenerate files if you make the following change
 
 ### Cross compiling
 
-By default, `make` builds an `ark` binary that runs on your host operating system and architecture. 
-To build for another platform, run `make build-<GOOS>-<GOARCH`.
+By default, `make build` builds an `ark` binary for `linux-amd64`.
+To build for another platform, run `make build-<GOOS>-<GOARCH>`.
 For example, to build for the Mac, run `make build-darwin-amd64`.
 All binaries are placed in `_output/bin/<GOOS>/<GOARCH>`-- for example, `_output/bin/darwin/amd64/ark`.