diff --git a/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go b/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
index f8c4d2ffa9..e7412f9bc7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
@@ -1500,6 +1500,10 @@
 // 		The command to use to compile C++ code.
 // 	PKG_CONFIG
 // 		Path to pkg-config tool.
+// 	AR
+// 		The command to use to manipulate library archives when
+// 		building with the gccgo compiler.
+// 		The default is 'ar'.
 //
 // Architecture-specific environment variables:
 //
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/help/helpdoc.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/help/helpdoc.go
index e2c4e61615..c8ea66a327 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/help/helpdoc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/help/helpdoc.go
@@ -546,6 +546,10 @@ Environment variables for use with cgo:
 		The command to use to compile C++ code.
 	PKG_CONFIG
 		Path to pkg-config tool.
+	AR
+		The command to use to manipulate library archives when
+		building with the gccgo compiler.
+		The default is 'ar'.
 
 Architecture-specific environment variables:
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/gccgo.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/gccgo.go
index 784a4ae1b3..69a25bea62 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/gccgo.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/gccgo.go
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ func (gccgoToolchain) linker() string {
 	return GccgoBin
 }
 
+func (gccgoToolchain) ar() string {
+	ar := os.Getenv("AR")
+	if ar == "" {
+		ar = "ar"
+	}
+	return ar
+}
+
 func checkGccgoBin() {
 	if gccgoErr == nil {
 		return
@@ -183,7 +191,7 @@ func gccgoArchive(basedir, imp string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(afile), "lib"+filepath.Base(afile))
 }
 
-func (gccgoToolchain) pack(b *Builder, a *Action, afile string, ofiles []string) error {
+func (tools gccgoToolchain) pack(b *Builder, a *Action, afile string, ofiles []string) error {
 	p := a.Package
 	objdir := a.Objdir
 	var absOfiles []string
@@ -198,7 +206,7 @@ func (gccgoToolchain) pack(b *Builder, a *Action, afile string, ofiles []string)
 		arArgs = []string{"-X64"}
 	}
 
-	return b.run(a, p.Dir, p.ImportPath, nil, "ar", arArgs, "rc", mkAbs(objdir, afile), absOfiles)
+	return b.run(a, p.Dir, p.ImportPath, nil, tools.ar(), arArgs, "rc", mkAbs(objdir, afile), absOfiles)
 }
 
 func (tools gccgoToolchain) link(b *Builder, root *Action, out, importcfg string, allactions []*Action, buildmode, desc string) error {
@@ -257,11 +265,11 @@ func (tools gccgoToolchain) link(b *Builder, root *Action, out, importcfg string
 				return "", nil
 			}
 		}
-		err := b.run(root, root.Objdir, desc, nil, "ar", "x", newArchive, "_cgo_flags")
+		err := b.run(root, root.Objdir, desc, nil, tools.ar(), "x", newArchive, "_cgo_flags")
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
-		err = b.run(root, ".", desc, nil, "ar", "d", newArchive, "_cgo_flags")
+		err = b.run(root, ".", desc, nil, tools.ar(), "d", newArchive, "_cgo_flags")
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
@@ -473,7 +481,7 @@ func (tools gccgoToolchain) link(b *Builder, root *Action, out, importcfg string
 
 	switch buildmode {
 	case "c-archive":
-		if err := b.run(root, ".", desc, nil, "ar", "rc", realOut, out); err != nil {
+		if err := b.run(root, ".", desc, nil, tools.ar(), "rc", realOut, out); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}