diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 6094e89a4..4767d4a04 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -109,10 +109,6 @@ $(foreach t, $(TARGETS_WITH_ROM_VARS), $(eval $(call build_elf_rule,$(t))))
 	$Q$(CC) $(AFLAGS) -MMD -c -o $@ $<
 	@$(FINALIZE_DEPENDENCY)
 
-(%): %
-	$(call pretty,AR,$@($<))
-	@$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $<
-
 # Fix the dependencies generated for a particular target .o
 # See http://make.paulandlesley.org/autodep.html#advanced
 define FINALIZE_DEPENDENCY
diff --git a/board/Makefile.board b/board/Makefile.board
index 9c747813c..c5114a678 100644
--- a/board/Makefile.board
+++ b/board/Makefile.board
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ ALL_BOARDS = redbee-dev redbee-r1 redbee-usb redbee-econotag quahogcon freescale
 OBJDIR = obj_$(BOARD)
 CFLAGS += -I. -I$(OBJDIR) -I$(MC1322X)/board -DBOARD=$(BOARD)
 
+OBJDIR_COBJS = $(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/, $(COBJS))
+
 # Create directory and board.h include
 $(OBJDIR)/board.h:
 	$(call pretty,GEN,$@)
@@ -14,10 +16,14 @@ $(OBJDIR)/board.h:
 
 # $(OBJDIR)/board.a contains all the objects defined in COBJS
 ifdef COBJS
-$(OBJDIR)/board.a: $(OBJDIR)/board.h $(OBJDIR)/board.a($(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/, $(COBJS)))
+$(OBJDIR)/board.a: $(OBJDIR)/board.h $(OBJDIR_COBJS)
+	$(call pretty,AR,$@)
+	@rm -f $@
+	$Q$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $(OBJDIR_COBJS)
 else
 $(OBJDIR)/board.a: $(OBJDIR)/board.h
 	$(call pretty,AR (empty),$@)
+	@rm -f $@
 	$Q$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@
 endif
 
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.lib b/lib/Makefile.lib
index bcba895ea..276ca0c58 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.lib
+++ b/lib/Makefile.lib
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ CFLAGS += -I$(MC1322X)/lib/include
 # By default, link all objects
 LIBOBJS ?= $(patsubst %.c,%.o,$(wildcard $(MC1322X)/lib/*.c))
 
-$(MC1322X)/lib/libmc1322x.a: $(MC1322X)/lib/libmc1322x.a($(LIBOBJS))
+$(MC1322X)/lib/libmc1322x.a: $(LIBOBJS)
+	$(call pretty,AR,$@)
+	@rm -f $@
+	$Q$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^
 
 TARGET_OBJ += $(MC1322X)/lib/libmc1322x.a
 
diff --git a/src/Makefile.src b/src/Makefile.src
index 573dd0e38..258620ac8 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.src
+++ b/src/Makefile.src
@@ -8,11 +8,17 @@ SRC_OBJS += $(MC1322X)/src/default_lowlevel.o $(ISR)
 # Two libraries, one with ROM variable space reserved, one without
 START_ROMVARS ?= $(MC1322X)/src/start-romvars.o
 SRCLIB_ROMVARS = $(MC1322X)/src/src-romvars.a
-$(SRCLIB_ROMVARS): $(SRCLIB_ROMVARS)($(SRC_OBJS) $(START_ROMVARS))
+$(SRCLIB_ROMVARS): $(SRC_OBJS) $(START_ROMVARS)
+	$(call pretty,AR,$@)
+	@rm -f $@
+	$Q$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^
 
 START ?= $(MC1322X)/src/start.o
 SRCLIB = $(MC1322X)/src/src.a
-$(SRCLIB): $(SRCLIB)($(SRC_OBJS) $(START))
+$(SRCLIB): $(SRC_OBJS) $(START)
+	$(call pretty,AR,$@)
+	@rm -f $@
+	$Q$(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^
 
 # ISR is built without thumb
 $(ISR): $(ISR:.o=.c)