diff --git a/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test.cf b/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test.cf
index 3f55a4bce1..2ee051336b 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test.cf
+++ b/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test.cf
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ bundle agent init
     # packages where earlier releases did not, so fails many tests.
     # RHEL 8 has broken DNF (upgrading a 32bit package also installs a 64bit
     # package)
+    # Limited to x86_64: other architectures are skipped (see meta_skip.cf.sub)
+    # and a skipped test must not also be marked as soft fail.
     "test_soft_fail"
-      string => "rhel_8|rhel_9",
+      string => "(rhel_8|rhel_9).x86_64",
       meta => { "CFE-rhbz", "CFE-4096", "ENT-13499" };
 
   # For setting up the cfengine-selected-python symlink we want to
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test_generator.py b/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test_generator.py
index 962a8ca9e0..af670d1cf8 100755
--- a/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test_generator.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/17_packages/10_new/unsafe/the_great_package_test_generator.py
@@ -121,8 +121,10 @@ def header(test_count):
       # packages where earlier releases did not, so fails many tests.
       # RHEL 8 has broken DNF (upgrading a 32bit package also installs a 64bit
       # package)
+      # Limited to x86_64: other architectures are skipped (see meta_skip.cf.sub)
+      # and a skipped test must not also be marked as soft fail.
 
-      "test_soft_fail" string => "rhel_8|rhel_9",
+      "test_soft_fail" string => "(rhel_8|rhel_9).x86_64",
         meta  => {"CFE-rhbz", "CFE-4096", "ENT-13499" };
 
   # For setting up the cfengine-selected-python symlink we want to