diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam b/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam
index 6b5ace35655b..d10254c23372 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/include/link_ar.mam
@@ -33,8 +33,13 @@ exec -			esac
 exec -			;;
 exec -		esac
 exec -	done
+exec -	set -x
 exec -	case ${to_delete:+y} in
-exec -	y)	set -x
-exec -		%{AR} -d %{@} $to_delete
+exec -	y)	%{AR} -d %{@} $to_delete
 exec -		;;
 exec -	esac
+
+note *	Some old systems do not automatically update the symbol table upon ad
+note *	adding or deleting object files (contra POSIX), so update it manually
+
+exec -	%{AR} -s %{@}
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile b/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile
index 1041d19a75d8..6dad870ea1f0 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/Mamfile
@@ -1167,8 +1167,7 @@ make install virtual
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/libshell.a
 		prev libshell.a
-		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@} || exit
-		exec - ranlib %{@} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@}
 	done
 	loop MAN3PG shell nval
 		make %{INSTALLROOT}/man/man3/%{MAN3PG}.3
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
index e4bb02614744..1ae2e6d3e9ba 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
@@ -4497,8 +4497,7 @@ make install virtual
 	note * the library and dependency information
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/libast.a
 		prev libast.a
-		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@} || exit
-		exec - ranlib %{@} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@}
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/lib/ast
 		prev ast.req
diff --git a/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile b/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile
index 152a07446796..b8ae5fbfc556 100644
--- a/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libcmd/Mamfile
@@ -332,8 +332,7 @@ make install virtual
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/libcmd.a
 		prev libcmd.a
-		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@} || exit
-		exec - ranlib %{@} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@}
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/lib/cmd
 		prev cmd.req
diff --git a/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile b/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile
index 41ec31876120..f3b6380bea0f 100644
--- a/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libdll/Mamfile
@@ -131,8 +131,7 @@ make install virtual
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/libdll.a
 		prev libdll.a
-		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@} || exit
-		exec - ranlib %{@} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@}
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/lib/dll
 		prev dll.req
diff --git a/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile b/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile
index 6d3a885b89f1..4024e4d3f671 100644
--- a/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libsum/Mamfile
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ make install virtual
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/libsum.a
 		prev libsum.a
-		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@} || exit
-		exec - ranlib %{@} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+		exec - cp -f %{<} %{@}
 	done
 	make %{INSTALLROOT}/lib/lib/sum
 		prev sum.req