diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam b/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam
index bec1cc25ac14..6b5ace35655b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam
@@ -4,13 +4,17 @@ note *
 note *	- %{@} - name of archive (like libfoo.a)
 note *	- %{^} - all the *.o files
 note *	- %{?} - the *.o files that changed in this run
-note *
+
+note *	Use path and flags detected by make.probe (e.g. AIX needs '-X any')
+
+setv AR %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS}
+
 note *	This code avoids rebuilding the archive from scratch on each run,
 note *	updating only the object files that have changed.
 
 exec -	if	test -f %{@}
-exec -	then	ar -r -c %{@} %{?}  # add changed *.o
-exec -	else	ar -r -c %{@} %{^}  # add all *.o
+exec -	then	%{AR} -r -c %{@} %{?}  # add changed *.o
+exec -	else	%{AR} -r -c %{@} %{^}  # add all *.o
 exec -	fi || exit
 
 note *	Sometimes, obsolete object files can interfere due to intercepts, so
@@ -18,7 +22,7 @@ note *	delete any old object files that we no longer build from the archive
 
 exec -	set +x	# avoid noisy log
 exec -	to_delete=
-exec -	for o in $(ar -t %{@})
+exec -	for o in $(%{AR} -t %{@})
 exec -	do	case $o in
 exec -		*.o)	case ' %{^} ' in
 exec -			*" $o "*)
@@ -31,6 +35,6 @@ exec -		esac
 exec -	done
 exec -	case ${to_delete:+y} in
 exec -	y)	set -x
-exec -		ar -d %{@} $to_delete
+exec -		%{AR} -d %{@} $to_delete
 exec -		;;
 exec -	esac
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile b/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile
index 3030f6540f68..1041d19a75d8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ note *
 setv MAMAKE_STRICT 5
 setv INSTALLROOT ../../..
 setv CC cc
-setv AR %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS}
 setv mam_cc_FLAGS %{mam_cc_TARGET} %{mam_cc_DLL} %{-debug-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_DEBUG} -D_BLD_DEBUG?%{mam_cc_OPTIMIZE}?}
 setv CCFLAGS
 setv CCLDFLAGS %{-strip-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_LD_STRIP}??}
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
index 3d65ab6aaf93..e4bb02614744 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ setv INSTALLROOT ../../..
 setv PACKAGEROOT ../../../../..
 setv INCLUDE_AST %{INSTALLROOT}/include/ast
 setv CC cc
-setv AR %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS}
 setv mam_cc_FLAGS %{mam_cc_TARGET} %{mam_cc_DLL} -D_BLD_ast %{-debug-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_DEBUG} -D_BLD_DEBUG?%{mam_cc_OPTIMIZE}?}
 setv CCFLAGS
 setv CCLDFLAGS %{-strip-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_LD_STRIP}??}
diff --git a/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile b/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile
index 17cc0530483d..152a07446796 100644
--- a/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ note *
 setv MAMAKE_STRICT 5
 setv INSTALLROOT ../../..
 setv CC cc
-setv AR %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS}
 setv mam_cc_FLAGS %{mam_cc_TARGET} %{mam_cc_DLL} %{-debug-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_DEBUG} -D_BLD_DEBUG?%{mam_cc_OPTIMIZE}?} %{mam_cc_NOSTRICTALIASING} -DERROR_CATALOG=\""libcmd"\" -DHOSTTYPE=\""%{mam_cc_HOSTTYPE}"\" -D_BLD_cmd
 setv CCFLAGS
 setv IFFEFLAGS
@@ -298,9 +297,10 @@ make install virtual
 			done
 		done
 		make sumlib.o
+			note * extract sumlib.o from libsum.a
 			bind -lsum
 			exec - set -- %{mam_libsum}
-			exec - %{AR} x "$1" sumlib.o
+			exec - %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS} -x "$1" sumlib.o
 		done
 
 		note * include shell action for linking the library
diff --git a/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile b/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile
index 411cda6fcdcc..41ec31876120 100644
--- a/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ note *
 setv MAMAKE_STRICT 5
 setv INSTALLROOT ../../..
 setv CC cc
-setv AR %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS}
 setv mam_cc_FLAGS %{mam_cc_TARGET} %{mam_cc_DLL} %{-debug-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_DEBUG} -D_BLD_DEBUG?%{mam_cc_OPTIMIZE}?}
 setv CCFLAGS
 setv IFFEFLAGS
diff --git a/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile b/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile
index 6b0ac58860d1..6d3a885b89f1 100644
--- a/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ note *
 setv MAMAKE_STRICT 5
 setv INSTALLROOT ../../..
 setv CC cc
-setv AR %{mam_cc_AR} %{mam_cc_AR_ARFLAGS}
 setv mam_cc_FLAGS %{mam_cc_TARGET} %{mam_cc_DLL} %{mam_cc_PIC} %{-debug-symbols?1?%{mam_cc_DEBUG} -D_BLD_DEBUG?%{mam_cc_OPTIMIZE}?}
 setv CCFLAGS
 setv IFFEFLAGS