diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8ef4f8b75..7d87ee243 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ver 0.17.5 (not yet released)
 * protocol:
   - fix "playlistadd" with URI
+* configure.ac:
+  - detect system "ar"
 
 ver 0.17.4 (2013/04/08)
 * protocol:
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8cc36302f..fba498714 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ AC_PROG_CC_C99
 AC_PROG_CXX
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
 
+AN_MAKEVAR([AR], [AC_PROG_AR])
+AN_PROGRAM([ar], [AC_PROG_AR])
+AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_AR], [AC_CHECK_TOOL(AR, ar, :)])
+AC_PROG_AR
+
 HAVE_CXX=yes
 if test x$CXX = xg++; then
 	# CXX=g++ probably means that autoconf hasn't found any C++