diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 552cb43..3167163 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -12,9 +12,14 @@ ifndef LDFLAGS
 LDFLAGS = -L/usr/local/lib
 endif
 
+ifndef AR
+AR = ar
+endif
+
 export CXX
 export CXXFLAGS
 export LDFLAGS
+export AR
 
 
 all: space mainparser utf8 date
diff --git a/date/Makefile b/date/Makefile
index 011431e..a17267b 100644
--- a/date/Makefile
+++ b/date/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ libname=date.a
 all: $(libname)
 
 $(libname): $(o)
-	ar rcs $(libname) $(o)
+	$(AR) rcs $(libname) $(o)
 
 
 %.o: %.cpp
diff --git a/mainparser/Makefile b/mainparser/Makefile
index 728fcea..a451264 100644
--- a/mainparser/Makefile
+++ b/mainparser/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ libname=mainparser.a
 all: $(libname)
 
 $(libname): $(o)
-	ar rcs $(libname) $(o)
+	$(AR) rcs $(libname) $(o)
 
 
 %.o: %.cpp
diff --git a/space/Makefile b/space/Makefile
index bd991ea..fc2ffe6 100644
--- a/space/Makefile
+++ b/space/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ libname=space.a
 all: $(libname)
 
 $(libname): $(o)
-	ar rcs $(libname) $(o)
+	$(AR) rcs $(libname) $(o)
 
 
 %.o: %.cpp
diff --git a/utf8/Makefile b/utf8/Makefile
index 70500a8..33c71a6 100644
--- a/utf8/Makefile
+++ b/utf8/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ libname=utf8.a
 all: $(libname)
 
 $(libname): $(o)
-	ar rcs $(libname) $(o)
+	$(AR) rcs $(libname) $(o)
 
 
 %.o: %.cpp