--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -394,12 +394,14 @@
 	) > load
 	chmod 755 load
 
+AR ?= ar
+RANLIB ?= ranlib
 makelib: \
 warn-auto.sh systype
 	( cat warn-auto.sh; \
 	echo 'main="$$1"; shift'; \
 	echo 'rm -f "$$main"'; \
-	echo 'ar cr "$$main" $${1+"$$@"}'; \
+	echo '$(AR) cr "$$main" $${1+"$$@"}'; \
 	case "`cat systype`" in \
 	sunos-5.*) ;; \
 	unix_sv*) ;; \
@@ -408,7 +410,7 @@
 	dgux-*) ;; \
 	hp-ux-*) ;; \
 	sco*) ;; \
-	*) echo 'ranlib "$$main"' ;; \
+	*) echo '$(RANLIB) "$$main"' ;; \
 	esac \
 	) > makelib
 	chmod 755 makelib