diff --git a/zig-ecs/.gitignore b/zig-ecs/.gitignore
index 2040c29..b72f969 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/.gitignore
+++ b/zig-ecs/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 zig-cache
+zig-arm-cache
diff --git a/zig-ecs/.vscode/tasks.json b/zig-ecs/.vscode/tasks.json
index dce0dbc..2af359a 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/zig-ecs/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
     // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
     // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
     "version": "2.0.0",
+    "options": {
+        "env": {
+            "ZIG_SYSTEM_LINKER_HACK": "1",
+        }
+    },
     "tasks": [
         {
             "label": "Build Project",
@@ -26,6 +31,18 @@
                 "clear": true
             }
         },
+        {
+            "label": "Build and Run Project (x64 on arm)",
+            "type": "shell",
+            "command": "~/zig/zig-x64/zig build run",
+            "problemMatcher": [
+                "$gcc"
+            ],
+            "group": "build",
+            "presentation": {
+                "clear": true
+            }
+        },
         {
             "label": "Build and Run Project (release-fast)",
             "type": "shell",
diff --git a/zig-ecs/build.zig b/zig-ecs/build.zig
index 8af56bf..7a099dd 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/build.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/build.zig
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
-const Builder = @import("std").build.Builder;
+const std = @import("std");
+const Builder = std.build.Builder;
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 
 pub fn build(b: *Builder) void {
     const buildMode = b.standardReleaseOptions();
 
+    // use a different cache folder for macos arm builds
+    b.cache_root = if (std.builtin.os.tag == .macos and std.builtin.arch == std.builtin.Arch.aarch64) "zig-arm-cache/bin" else "zig-cache/bin";
+
     const examples = [_][2][]const u8{
         [_][]const u8{ "view_vs_group", "examples/view_vs_group.zig" },
         [_][]const u8{ "group_sort", "examples/group_sort.zig" },
@@ -25,7 +29,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *Builder) void {
 
         // first element in the list is added as "run" so "zig build run" works
         if (i == 0) {
-            exe.setOutputDir("zig-cache/bin");
+            exe.setOutputDir(std.fs.path.joinPosix(b.allocator, &[_][]const u8{ b.cache_root, "bin" }) catch unreachable);
             const run_exe_step = b.step("run", b.fmt("run {}.zig", .{name}));
             run_exe_step.dependOn(&run_cmd.step);
         }