diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7651701f..1a8ac030 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,26 @@ jobs:
         name: ${{ matrix.host }}-x
         path: bin/x${{ matrix.host == 'windows-latest' && '.exe' || '' }}
 
+  # Github doesn't have runners for anything but 64 bit
+  build-32bit:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - uses: hecrj/setup-rust-action@v1
+      with:
+        targets: "i686-unknown-linux-gnu"
+    - name: multilib
+      run: sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gcc-multilib libssl-dev:i386
+    - run: cargo install --path xbuild --root . --target i686-unknown-linux-gnu
+      env:
+        OPENSSL_LIB_DIR: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/
+        OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR: /usr/include/openssl/
+
+    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: i686-x
+        path: bin/x
+
   build-template:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -40,10 +60,15 @@ jobs:
         - ubuntu-latest
         - macos-latest
         - windows-latest
+        host-arch:
+        - x86
+        - x64
         opt:
         - debug
         - release
         target:
+        - platform: linux
+          arch: x86
         - platform: linux
           arch: x64
         - platform: macos
@@ -56,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
           arch: arm64
 
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.host }}
-    needs: build
+    needs: [build, build-32bit]
     steps:
     - name: install rust
       uses: hecrj/setup-rust-action@v1
@@ -64,9 +89,17 @@ jobs:
         rust-version: stable
 
     - name: install x
+      if: ${{ matrix.host-arch == 'x64' }}
       uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
       with:
         name: ${{ matrix.host }}-x
+
+    - name: install x i686
+      if: ${{ matrix.host-arch == 'x86' }}
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+      with:
+        name: i686-x
+
     - run: chmod +x ./x
       if: ${{ matrix.host == 'ubuntu-latest' || matrix.host == 'macos-latest' }}
 
@@ -90,15 +123,28 @@ jobs:
       if: ${{ matrix.host == 'ubuntu-latest' }}
       run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install libwebkit2gtk-4.0-dev libgtk-3-dev squashfs-tools
 
+    - name: install dependencies for i686
+      if: ${{ matrix.host == 'ubuntu-latest' }}
+      run: sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install libwebkit2gtk-4.0-dev:i386 libgtk-3-dev:i386 squashfs-tools:i386 libssl3:i386 gcc-multilib libglib2.0-0:i386
+
     - name: create project
+      if: ${{ !((matrix.host == 'macos-latest' || matrix.host == 'windows-latest') && matrix.host-arch == 'x86') }}
       run: ./x new template
-
+      
     # only linux can target linux as it is not clear what that even is exactly
     # glibc/musl gtk/qt x11/wayland
     # windows doesn't support posix symlinks so can't cross compile to macos/ios
     - name: build project
       if: >
-        !(matrix.host == 'macos-latest' && matrix.target.platform == 'linux' ||
-          matrix.host == 'windows-latest' && contains(fromJson('["linux", "macos", "ios"]'), matrix.target.platform))
+        ${{
+          !(matrix.host-arch == 'x64' && matrix.target.arch == 'x86' ||
+            matrix.host == 'macos-latest' && matrix.host-arch == 'x86' ||
+            matrix.host == 'windows-latest' && matrix.host-arch == 'x86' ||
+            matrix.host == 'macos-latest' && matrix.target.platform == 'linux' ||
+            matrix.host == 'windows-latest' && contains(fromJson('["linux", "macos", "ios"]'), matrix.target.platform)
+          )
+        }}    
       run: ../x build --platform ${{ matrix.target.platform }} --arch ${{ matrix.target.arch }} --${{ matrix.opt }}
       working-directory: template
+      env:
+        PKG_CONFIG_SYSROOT_DIR: "/"
diff --git a/appimage/assets/runtime-i686 b/appimage/assets/runtime-i686
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df6382a8
Binary files /dev/null and b/appimage/assets/runtime-i686 differ
diff --git a/appimage/src/lib.rs b/appimage/src/lib.rs
index c5ded81f..1df22d9d 100644
--- a/appimage/src/lib.rs
+++ b/appimage/src/lib.rs
@@ -7,8 +7,12 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::Command;
 use xcommon::Signer;
 
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
 static RUNTIME: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../assets/runtime-x86_64");
 
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86")]
+static RUNTIME: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../assets/runtime-i686");
+
 pub struct AppImage {
     appdir: PathBuf,
     name: String,
diff --git a/xbuild/src/devices/adb.rs b/xbuild/src/devices/adb.rs
index 8a9d6bb3..c5ca32a0 100644
--- a/xbuild/src/devices/adb.rs
+++ b/xbuild/src/devices/adb.rs
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ impl Adb {
             "arm64-v8a" => Arch::Arm64,
             //"armeabi-v7a" => Arch::Arm,
             "x86_64" => Arch::X64,
-            //"x86" => Arch::X86,
+            "x86" => Arch::X86,
             abi => anyhow::bail!("unrecognized abi {}", abi),
         };
         Ok(arch)
diff --git a/xbuild/src/lib.rs b/xbuild/src/lib.rs
index fd522bf2..5ff1846a 100644
--- a/xbuild/src/lib.rs
+++ b/xbuild/src/lib.rs
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ pub enum Arch {
     //Arm,
     Arm64,
     X64,
-    //X86,
+    X86,
 }
 
 impl Arch {
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ impl Arch {
             Ok(Arch::X64)
         } else if cfg!(target_arch = "aarch64") {
             Ok(Arch::Arm64)
+        } else if cfg!(target_arch = "x86") {
+            Ok(Arch::X86)
         } else {
             anyhow::bail!("unsupported host");
         }
@@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for Arch {
             //Self::Arm => write!(f, "arm"),
             Self::Arm64 => write!(f, "arm64"),
             Self::X64 => write!(f, "x64"),
-            //Self::X86 => write!(f, "x86"),
+            Self::X86 => write!(f, "x86"),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -129,7 +131,7 @@ impl std::str::FromStr for Arch {
             //"arm" => Self::Arm,
             "arm64" => Self::Arm64,
             "x64" => Self::X64,
-            //"x86" => Self::X86,
+            "x86" => Self::X86,
             _ => anyhow::bail!("unsupported arch {}", arch),
         })
     }
@@ -283,6 +285,7 @@ impl CompileTarget {
         match self.arch() {
             Arch::Arm64 => apk::Target::Arm64V8a,
             Arch::X64 => apk::Target::X86_64,
+            Arch::X86 => apk::Target::X86,
         }
     }
 
@@ -292,7 +295,7 @@ impl CompileTarget {
         match self.arch() {
             Arch::Arm64 => "aarch64-linux-android",
             //Arch::Arm => "arm-linux-androideabi",
-            //Arch::X86 => "i686-linux-android",
+            Arch::X86 => "i686-linux-android",
             Arch::X64 => "x86_64-linux-android",
         }
     }
@@ -307,6 +310,7 @@ impl CompileTarget {
             (Arch::X64, Platform::Linux) => "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu",
             (Arch::X64, Platform::Macos) => "x86_64-apple-darwin",
             (Arch::X64, Platform::Windows) => "x86_64-pc-windows-msvc",
+            (Arch::X86, Platform::Linux) => "i686-unknown-linux-gnu",
             (arch, platform) => anyhow::bail!(
                 "unsupported arch/platform combination {} {}",
                 arch,
@@ -316,7 +320,13 @@ impl CompileTarget {
     }
 
     pub fn is_host(self) -> Result<bool> {
-        Ok(self.platform() == Platform::host()? && self.arch() == Arch::host()?)
+        // 32 bit binaries can run on 64 bit hardware, of particular use for testing
+        // This way 32 bit xbuild will produce 32 bit binaries, unless commanded otherwise
+        if cfg!(target_arch = "x86") {
+            Ok(false)
+        } else {
+            Ok(self.platform() == Platform::host()? && self.arch() == Arch::host()?)
+        }
     }
 }