--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ AC_PATH_PROG(DOXYDOC,doxygen)
 
 dnl How do we make libraries?
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
-AC_PATH_TOOL(AR, ar)
+AC_CHECK_TOOL(AR, ar)
 
 if test "x$AR" = "x:"; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([Configure could not find the library archiver, aborting.])