diff --git a/configure b/configure
index dd3d0a95..ae6890ea 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -688,6 +688,8 @@ PSBLAS_MODDIR
 PSBLAS_INCDIR
 PSBLAS_DIR
 LAPACK_LIBS
+RANLIB
+AR
 MPICXX
 MPIFC
 MPILIBS
@@ -8306,17 +8308,214 @@ fi
 ###############################################################################
 #	Parachute rules for ar and ranlib ... (could cause problems)
 ###############################################################################
+if test -n "$ac_tool_prefix"; then
+  # Extract the first word of "${ac_tool_prefix}ar", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy ${ac_tool_prefix}ar; ac_word=$2
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test ${ac_cv_prog_AR+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else case e in #(
+  e) if test -n "$AR"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_AR="$AR" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  case $as_dir in #(((
+    '') as_dir=./ ;;
+    */) ;;
+    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
+  esac
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_AR="${ac_tool_prefix}ar"
+    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi ;;
+esac
+fi
+AR=$ac_cv_prog_AR
+if test -n "$AR"; then
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $AR" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$AR" >&6; }
+else
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+fi
+if test -z "$ac_cv_prog_AR"; then
+  ac_ct_AR=$AR
+  # Extract the first word of "ar", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy ar; ac_word=$2
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test ${ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_AR+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else case e in #(
+  e) if test -n "$ac_ct_AR"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_AR="$ac_ct_AR" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  case $as_dir in #(((
+    '') as_dir=./ ;;
+    */) ;;
+    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
+  esac
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_AR="ar"
+    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi ;;
+esac
+fi
+ac_ct_AR=$ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_AR
+if test -n "$ac_ct_AR"; then
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_ct_AR" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$ac_ct_AR" >&6; }
+else
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+  if test "x$ac_ct_AR" = x; then
+    AR=":"
+  else
+    case $cross_compiling:$ac_tool_warned in
+yes:)
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: WARNING: using cross tools not prefixed with host triplet" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$as_me: WARNING: using cross tools not prefixed with host triplet" >&2;}
+ac_tool_warned=yes ;;
+esac
+    AR=$ac_ct_AR
+  fi
+else
+  AR="$ac_cv_prog_AR"
+fi
+
+AR="${AR} -cr"
+if test -n "$ac_tool_prefix"; then
+  # Extract the first word of "${ac_tool_prefix}ranlib", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy ${ac_tool_prefix}ranlib; ac_word=$2
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test ${ac_cv_prog_RANLIB+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else case e in #(
+  e) if test -n "$RANLIB"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_RANLIB="$RANLIB" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  case $as_dir in #(((
+    '') as_dir=./ ;;
+    */) ;;
+    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
+  esac
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_RANLIB="${ac_tool_prefix}ranlib"
+    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
 
-if test "X$AR" == "X" ; then
-  AR="ar"
+fi ;;
+esac
 fi
+RANLIB=$ac_cv_prog_RANLIB
+if test -n "$RANLIB"; then
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $RANLIB" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$RANLIB" >&6; }
+else
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
 
-if test "X$RANLIB" == "X" ; then
-  RANLIB="ranlib"
 fi
+if test -z "$ac_cv_prog_RANLIB"; then
+  ac_ct_RANLIB=$RANLIB
+  # Extract the first word of "ranlib", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy ranlib; ac_word=$2
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test ${ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_RANLIB+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else case e in #(
+  e) if test -n "$ac_ct_RANLIB"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_RANLIB="$ac_ct_RANLIB" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  case $as_dir in #(((
+    '') as_dir=./ ;;
+    */) ;;
+    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
+  esac
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_RANLIB="ranlib"
+    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
 
-# This should be portable
-AR="${AR} -cDr"
+fi ;;
+esac
+fi
+ac_ct_RANLIB=$ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_RANLIB
+if test -n "$ac_ct_RANLIB"; then
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_ct_RANLIB" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$ac_ct_RANLIB" >&6; }
+else
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+  if test "x$ac_ct_RANLIB" = x; then
+    RANLIB=":"
+  else
+    case $cross_compiling:$ac_tool_warned in
+yes:)
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: WARNING: using cross tools not prefixed with host triplet" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$as_me: WARNING: using cross tools not prefixed with host triplet" >&2;}
+ac_tool_warned=yes ;;
+esac
+    RANLIB=$ac_ct_RANLIB
+  fi
+else
+  RANLIB="$ac_cv_prog_RANLIB"
+fi
 
 
 ###############################################################################
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2f476325..f235aba2 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -601,18 +601,9 @@ fi
 ###############################################################################
 #	Parachute rules for ar and ranlib ... (could cause problems)
 ###############################################################################
-
-if test "X$AR" == "X" ; then
-  AR="ar"
-fi
-
-if test "X$RANLIB" == "X" ; then
-  RANLIB="ranlib"
-fi
-
-# This should be portable
-AR="${AR} -cDr"
-
+AC_PROG_AR
+AR="${AR} -cr"
+AC_PROG_RANLIB
 
 ###############################################################################
 # NOTE :