diff --git a/doc/configuration.rst b/doc/configuration.rst
index a9960f76..a2b05c63 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/configuration.rst
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ Minimal Config Example
     gather_source = "comps"
     gather_method = "deps"
     greedy_method = "build"
-    multilib_methods = []
     check_deps = False
 
     # BUILDINSTALL
@@ -377,11 +376,25 @@ Options
 **greedy_method**
     (*str*) -- see :doc:`gather`, recommended value: "build"
 
-**multilib_methods** = []
-    ([*str*]) -- see :doc:`gather`, recommended value: ["devel", "runtime"]
+**multilib_methods** [deprecated]
+    ([*str*]) -- use ``multilib`` instead to configure this per-variant
 
-**multilib_arches**
-    ([*str*] or None) -- list of compose architectures entitled for multilib; set to None to apply multilib on all compose arches
+**multilib_arches** [deprecated]
+    ([*str*] or None) -- use ``multilib`` to implicitly configure this: if a
+    variant on any arch has non-empty multilib methods, it is automatically
+    eligible
+
+**multilib**
+    (*list*) -- mapping of variant regexes and arches to list of multilib
+    methods
+
+    Available methods are:
+     * ``none``
+     * ``all``
+     * ``runtime``
+     * ``file``
+     * ``kernel``
+     * ``yaboot``
 
 **additional_packages**
     (*list*) -- additional packages to be included in a variant and architecture; format: [(variant_uid_regex, {arch|*: [package_globs]})]
@@ -414,8 +427,6 @@ Example
     gather_source = "comps"
     gather_method = "deps"
     greedy_method = "build"
-    multilib_methods = ["devel", "runtime"]
-    multilib_arches = ["ppc64", "s390x", "x86_64"]
     check_deps = False
     hashed_directories = True
 
@@ -438,6 +449,12 @@ Example
         }),
     ]
 
+    multilib = [
+        ('^Server$', {
+            'x86_64': ['devel', 'runtime']
+        })
+    ]
+
     multilib_blacklist = {
         "*": [
             "gcc",
diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py b/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
index 84ffd414..9c11b000 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
@@ -52,20 +52,11 @@ class GatherPhase(PhaseBase):
     name = "gather"
 
     config_options = (
-        {
-            "name": "multilib_arches",
-            "expected_types": [list],
-            "optional": True,
-        },
         {
             "name": "gather_lookaside_repos",
             "expected_types": [list],
             "optional": True,
         },
-        {
-            "name": "multilib_methods",
-            "expected_types": [list],
-        },
         {
             "name": "greedy_method",
             "expected_values": ["none", "all", "build"],
@@ -91,7 +82,22 @@ class GatherPhase(PhaseBase):
             "expected_types": [bool],
             "optional": True,
         },
+        {
+            "name": "multilib",
+            "expected_types": [list],
+            "optional": True,
+        },
         # DEPRECATED OPTIONS
+        {
+            "name": "multilib_arches",
+            "deprecated": True,
+            "comment": "Use multilib instead",
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "multilib_methods",
+            "deprecated": True,
+            "comment": "Use multilib instead",
+        },
         {
             "name": "additional_packages_multiarch",
             "deprecated": True,
diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/link.py b/pungi/phases/gather/link.py
index 4eba3c12..955ce07e 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/link.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/link.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
 
 
-
 import os
 
 import kobo.rpmlib
diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py b/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
index 22c52300..5cdfda0b 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
@@ -20,13 +20,12 @@ import tempfile
 
 from kobo.shortcuts import run
 
-from pungi.util import rmtree
+from pungi.util import rmtree, get_arch_variant_data
 from pungi.wrappers.pungi import PungiWrapper
 
 from pungi.arch import tree_arch_to_yum_arch
 import pungi.phases.gather
 
-
 import pungi.phases.gather.method
 
 
@@ -116,11 +115,7 @@ def resolve_deps(compose, arch, variant):
     compose.log_info("[BEGIN] %s" % msg)
     pungi_conf = compose.paths.work.pungi_conf(arch, variant)
 
-    multilib_methods = compose.conf.get("multilib_methods", None)
-    multilib_methods = compose.conf.get("multilib_methods", None)
-    is_multilib = arch in compose.conf["multilib_arches"]
-    if not is_multilib:
-        multilib_methods = None
+    multilib_methods = get_arch_variant_data(compose.conf, 'multilib', arch, variant)
 
     greedy_method = compose.conf.get("greedy_method", "none")
 
diff --git a/pungi/phases/init.py b/pungi/phases/init.py
index 29bcf095..9ffec4a3 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/init.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/init.py
@@ -109,11 +109,6 @@ class InitPhase(PhaseBase):
             "expected_types": [list],
             "optional": True,
         },
-        {
-            "name": "multilib_arches",
-            "expected_types": [list],
-            "optional": True,
-        },
 
         # CREATEREPO SETTINGS
         {
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/__init__.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/__init__.py
index 67f296ec..6f3a4208 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/__init__.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/__init__.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from kobo.shortcuts import force_list
 import pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets
 from pungi.arch import get_valid_arches
 from pungi.phases.base import PhaseBase
+from pungi.util import is_arch_multilib
 
 
 class PkgsetPhase(PhaseBase):
@@ -33,10 +34,6 @@ class PkgsetPhase(PhaseBase):
             "name": "pkgset_source",
             "expected_types": [str],
         },
-        {
-            "name": "multilib_arches",
-            "expected_types": [list],
-        },
     )
 
     def run(self):
@@ -54,7 +51,7 @@ def populate_arch_pkgsets(compose, path_prefix, global_pkgset):
     result = {}
     for arch in compose.get_arches():
         compose.log_info("Populating package set for arch: %s" % arch)
-        is_multilib = arch in compose.conf["multilib_arches"]
+        is_multilib = is_arch_multilib(compose.conf, arch)
         arches = get_valid_arches(arch, is_multilib, add_src=True)
         pkgset = pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets.PackageSetBase(compose.conf["sigkeys"], logger=compose._logger, arches=arches)
         pkgset.merge(global_pkgset, arch, arches)
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py
index 7ca3fb01..c945b0c4 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from kobo.shortcuts import run, force_list, relative_path
 import pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets
 from pungi.arch import get_valid_arches
 from pungi.wrappers.createrepo import CreaterepoWrapper
+from pungi.util import is_arch_multilib
 
 
 # TODO: per arch?
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ def populate_arch_pkgsets(compose, path_prefix, global_pkgset):
     result = {}
     for arch in compose.get_arches():
         compose.log_info("Populating package set for arch: %s" % arch)
-        is_multilib = arch in compose.conf["multilib_arches"]
+        is_multilib = is_arch_multilib(compose.conf, arch)
         arches = get_valid_arches(arch, is_multilib, add_src=True)
         pkgset = pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets.PackageSetBase(compose.conf["sigkeys"], logger=compose._logger, arches=arches)
         pkgset.merge(global_pkgset, arch, arches)
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py
index de3ba515..53910021 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import koji
 import pungi.wrappers.kojiwrapper
 import pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets
 from pungi.arch import get_valid_arches
+from pungi.util import is_arch_multilib
 
 from pungi.phases.pkgset.common import create_arch_repos, create_global_repo, populate_arch_pkgsets
 
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ def populate_global_pkgset(compose, koji_wrapper, path_prefix, compose_tag, even
     koji_proxy = koji_wrapper.koji_proxy
     ALL_ARCHES = set(["src"])
     for arch in compose.get_arches():
-        is_multilib = arch in compose.conf["multilib_arches"]
+        is_multilib = is_arch_multilib(compose.conf, arch)
         arches = get_valid_arches(arch, is_multilib)
         ALL_ARCHES.update(arches)
 
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py
index eb5f0b3b..305f0e0a 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from kobo.shortcuts import run
 
 import pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets
 from pungi.arch import get_valid_arches
-from pungi.util import makedirs
+from pungi.util import makedirs, is_arch_multilib
 from pungi.wrappers.pungi import PungiWrapper
 
 from pungi.phases.pkgset.common import create_global_repo, create_arch_repos, populate_arch_pkgsets
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def get_pkgset_from_repos(compose):
 def populate_global_pkgset(compose, file_list, path_prefix):
     ALL_ARCHES = set(["src"])
     for arch in compose.get_arches():
-        is_multilib = arch in compose.conf["multilib_arches"]
+        is_multilib = is_arch_multilib(compose.conf, arch)
         arches = get_valid_arches(arch, is_multilib)
         ALL_ARCHES.update(arches)
 
diff --git a/pungi/phases/test.py b/pungi/phases/test.py
index d55fedee..7472227a 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/test.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/test.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from pungi.wrappers.repoclosure import RepoclosureWrapper
 from pungi.arch import get_valid_arches
 from pungi.phases.base import PhaseBase
 from pungi.phases.gather import get_lookaside_repos
-from pungi.util import rmtree
+from pungi.util import rmtree, is_arch_multilib
 
 
 class TestPhase(PhaseBase):
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def run_repoclosure(compose):
     all_repos = {}  # to be used as lookaside for the self-hosting check
     all_arches = set()
     for arch in compose.get_arches():
-        is_multilib = arch in compose.conf["multilib_arches"]
+        is_multilib = is_arch_multilib(compose.conf, arch)
         arches = get_valid_arches(arch, is_multilib)
         all_arches.update(arches)
         for variant in compose.get_variants(arch=arch):
diff --git a/pungi/util.py b/pungi/util.py
index 9a849feb..d3aa3e57 100644
--- a/pungi/util.py
+++ b/pungi/util.py
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ def get_arch_variant_data(conf, var_name, arch, variant):
     return result
 
 
+def is_arch_multilib(conf, arch):
+    """Check if at least one variant has multilib enabled on this variant."""
+    return bool(get_arch_variant_data(conf, 'multilib', arch, None))
+
+
 def resolve_git_url(url):
     """Given a url to a Git repo specifying HEAD as a ref, replace that
     specifier with actual SHA1 of the commit.
diff --git a/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf b/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf
index 4931402c..ae206844 100644
--- a/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf
+++ b/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf
@@ -42,8 +42,11 @@ greedy_method = "build"
 check_deps = False
 hashed_directories = True
 
-multilib_arches = ["ppc64", "x86_64", "s390x"]
-multilib_methods = ["devel", "runtime"]
+multilib = [
+    ('^Server.*$', {
+        '*': ['devel', 'runtime']
+    }),
+]
 
 additional_packages = [
     ('^Server$', {