diff --git a/src/default.c b/src/default.c
index 751ea154..fffff8bc 100644
--- a/src/default.c
+++ b/src/default.c
@@ -518,7 +518,12 @@ static const char *default_variables[] =
 #else /* !VMS */
 
     "AR", "ar",
-    "ARFLAGS", "rv",
+#ifdef _AIX
+    /* AIX requires object file format specification: choose -Xany.  */
+    "ARFLAGS", "-Xany -rv",
+#else
+    "ARFLAGS", "-rv",
+#endif
     "AS", "as",
 #ifdef GCC_IS_NATIVE
     "CC", "gcc",
diff --git a/src/read.c b/src/read.c
index 57903bc8..3553fd79 100644
--- a/src/read.c
+++ b/src/read.c
@@ -1881,7 +1881,6 @@ static void check_specials (const struct nameseq* files, int set_default)
           /* These default values are based on IEEE Std 1003.1-2008.
              It requires '-O 1' for [CF]FLAGS, but GCC doesn't allow
              space between -O and the number so omit it here.  */
-          define_variable_cname ("ARFLAGS", "-rv", o_default, 0);
           define_variable_cname ("CC", "c99", o_default, 0);
           define_variable_cname ("CFLAGS", "-O1", o_default, 0);
           define_variable_cname ("FC", "fort77", o_default, 0);