diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index d074eb9d..d3d52bc0 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2013-09-09  Joerg Wunsch <j.gnu@uriah.heep.sax.de>
+
+	* configure.ac: check for ar and ranlib in the target tool
+	namespace, rather than on the host.
+
 2013-09-08  Joerg Wunsch <j.gnu@uriah.heep.sax.de>
 
 	Fix byte-wise EEPROM and flash writes on Xmega
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4bd32b1a..4eb2f49e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -39,7 +39,14 @@ AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_SED
 AC_PROG_YACC
 AC_PROG_LEX
+AN_MAKEVAR([RANLIB], [AC_PROG_RANLIB])
+AN_PROGRAM([ranlib], [AC_PROG_RANLIB])
+AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_RANLIB], [AC_CHECK_TARGET_TOOL(RANLIB, ranlib, :)])
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
+AN_MAKEVAR([AR], [AC_PROG_AR])
+AN_PROGRAM([ar], [AC_PROG_AR])
+AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_AR], [AC_CHECK_TARGET_TOOL(AR, ar, :)])
+AC_PROG_AR
 AH_TEMPLATE([HAVE_YYLEX_DESTROY],
             [Define if lex/flex has yylex_destroy])
 # flex should have this