--- a/src/native/unix/Makedefs.in
+++ b/src/native/unix/Makedefs.in
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 # @author  Pier Fumagalli <mailto:pier.fumagalli@eng.sun.com>
 
+AR = @AR@
 CC = @CC@
 CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@
 CPPFLAGS = @CPPFLAGS@
--- a/src/native/unix/native/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/native/unix/native/Makefile.in
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ OBJS =  arguments.o \
 all: jsvc libservice.a
 
 libservice.a: $(OBJS)
-	ar cr libservice.a $(OBJS)
+	${AR} cr libservice.a $(OBJS)
 	$(RANLIB) libservice.a
 
 jsvc: jsvc-unix.o libservice.a