diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a519e63d7..a95e4616e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ AC_SUBST(LIBPULSE_SIMPLE_VERSION_INFO, [1:1:1])
 AC_SUBST(LIBPULSE_MAINLOOP_GLIB_VERSION_INFO, [0:6:0])
 
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CANONICAL_HOST], "$host", [Canonical host string.])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CANONICAL_HOST], "$host_cpu", [Canonical host system architecture string.])
 
 AC_CHECK_PROG([STOW], [stow], [yes], [no])
 
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/database.c b/src/pulsecore/database.c
index 11f3d03c9..43af6fc76 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/database.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/database.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 
 #include <pulse/xmalloc.h>
 #include <pulsecore/core-util.h>
@@ -37,6 +38,9 @@ pa_database* pa_database_open(const char *path, const char *fn, bool prependmid,
 
     char *machine_id = NULL, *filename_prefix, *full_path;
 
+    DIR *database_dir = NULL;
+    struct dirent *de;
+
     pa_database *f;
 
     pa_assert(!arch_suffix || arch_suffix[0]);
@@ -53,6 +57,40 @@ pa_database* pa_database_open(const char *path, const char *fn, bool prependmid,
             fn,
             arch_suffix?".":"", arch_suffix?:"");
 
+    /* Search for existing database directory entry name matching architecture suffix and filename suffix. */
+    database_dir = opendir(path);
+
+    if (database_dir) {
+        for (;;) {
+            errno = 0;
+            de = readdir(database_dir);
+            if (!de) {
+                if (errno) {
+                    pa_log_warn("Unable to search for compatible database file, readdir() failed: %s", pa_cstrerror(errno));
+                    /* can continue as if there is no matching database file candidate */
+                }
+
+                break;
+            }
+
+            if (pa_startswith(de->d_name, filename_prefix) && pa_endswith(de->d_name + strlen(filename_prefix), filename_suffix)) {
+                /* candidate filename found, replace filename_prefix with this one if match is not exact */
+
+                if (strlen(de->d_name) != strlen(filename_prefix) + strlen(filename_suffix)) {
+                    pa_log_debug("Found compatible database file '%s/%s', using it", path, de->d_name);
+                    pa_xfree(filename_prefix);
+                    filename_prefix = pa_xstrndup(de->d_name, strlen(de->d_name) - strlen(filename_suffix));
+                }
+
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        closedir(database_dir);
+    } else {
+        pa_log_warn("Unable to search for compatible database file, failed to open directory %s: %s", path, pa_cstrerror(errno));
+    }
+
     full_path = pa_sprintf_malloc("%s" PA_PATH_SEP "%s%s", path, filename_prefix, filename_suffix);
 
     f = pa_database_open_internal(full_path, for_write);
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/database.h b/src/pulsecore/database.h
index fe2890577..cc16e535d 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/database.h
+++ b/src/pulsecore/database.h
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ const char* pa_database_get_arch_suffix(void);
 /* Database implementation; returns non-empty database filename extension string */
 const char* pa_database_get_filename_suffix(void);
 
-/* This will attempt opening database file matching compiled CANONICAL_HOST identifier.
+/* This will attempt opening database file matching compiled CANONICAL_HOST implementation architecture name prefix,
+ * or new database file will be created and opened with implementation architecture name suffix if required.
  * If prependmid is true, file name is augmented with machine id prefix. */
 pa_database* pa_database_open(const char *path, const char *fn, bool prependmid, bool for_write);