--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 xgettext = @XGETTEXT@
 msgfmt = @MSGFMT@
 ranlib = @RANLIB@
-ar = ar
+AR ?= ar
 
 cc = $(CC)
 cflags = $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(DEFS) -I./include
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@
 
 bin/libwdm.a: src/libwdm/debug.o src/libwdm/environment.o src/libwdm/names.o src/libwdm/plcheckers.o
 	mkdir -p bin
-	$(ar) cru bin/libwdm.a src/libwdm/debug.o src/libwdm/environment.o src/libwdm/names.o src/libwdm/plcheckers.o
+	$(AR) cru bin/libwdm.a src/libwdm/debug.o src/libwdm/environment.o src/libwdm/names.o src/libwdm/plcheckers.o
 	$(ranlib) bin/libwdm.a
 
 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/wdmLogin.1: doc/wdmLogin.man