diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
index ec529fc8..3e9c6090 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ install_from (FlatpakDir *dir,
   if (!handle_runtime_repo_deps_from_keyfile (dir, file_data, error))
     return FALSE;
 
-  if (!flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (dir, file_data, &remote, &ref, error))
+  if (!flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (dir, file_data, opt_arch, &remote, &ref, error))
     return FALSE;
 
   /* Need to pick up the new config, in case it was applied in the system helper. */
diff --git a/common/flatpak-dir.c b/common/flatpak-dir.c
index 3dee91d6..e8054543 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-dir.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-dir.c
@@ -6635,6 +6635,7 @@ parse_ref_file (GBytes *data,
 gboolean
 flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (FlatpakDir *self,
                                         GBytes     *data,
+                                        const char *default_arch,
                                         char      **remote_name_out,
                                         char      **ref_out,
                                         GError    **error)
@@ -6652,7 +6653,7 @@ flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (FlatpakDir *self,
   if (!parse_ref_file (data, &name, &branch, &url, &title, &gpg_data, &is_runtime, error))
     return FALSE;
 
-  ref = flatpak_compose_ref (!is_runtime, name, branch, NULL, error);
+  ref = flatpak_compose_ref (!is_runtime, name, branch, default_arch, error);
   if (ref == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
diff --git a/common/flatpak-dir.h b/common/flatpak-dir.h
index 195d6d77..1ab82399 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-dir.h
+++ b/common/flatpak-dir.h
@@ -463,6 +463,7 @@ char      *flatpak_dir_create_origin_remote (FlatpakDir   *self,
                                              GError      **error);
 gboolean   flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (FlatpakDir   *self,
                                                    GBytes  *data,
+                                                   const char *default_arch,
                                                    char   **remote_name_out,
                                                    char   **ref_out,
                                                    GError **error);
diff --git a/lib/flatpak-installation.c b/lib/flatpak-installation.c
index 0245ff0c..69e1f5ce 100644
--- a/lib/flatpak-installation.c
+++ b/lib/flatpak-installation.c
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ flatpak_installation_install_ref_file (FlatpakInstallation *self,
   g_autofree char *remote = NULL;
   g_autofree char *ref = NULL;
 
-  if (!flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (dir, ref_file_data, &remote, &ref, error))
+  if (!flatpak_dir_create_remote_for_ref_file (dir, ref_file_data, NULL, &remote, &ref, error))
     return NULL;
 
   if (!flatpak_installation_drop_caches (self, cancellable, error))