diff --git a/ase/awk/makefile.in b/ase/awk/makefile.in
index ba8d2f9c..f0336936 100644
--- a/ase/awk/makefile.in
+++ b/ase/awk/makefile.in
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ CC = @CC@
 CXX = @CXX@
 AR = @AR@
 RANLIB = @RANLIB@
+
 CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ -I@abs_top_builddir@/..
 CXXFLAGS = @CXXFLAGS@ -I@abs_top_builddir@/..
 LDFLAGS = @LDFLAGS@
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ buildcj: build $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CJ)
 
 $(OUT_FILE_LIB): $(TMP_DIR) $(OUT_DIR) $(OBJ_FILES_LIB)
 	$(AR) cr $(OUT_FILE_LIB) $(OBJ_FILES_LIB)
-	if [ "$(RANLIB)" = "ranlib" ]; then ranlib $(OUT_FILE_LIB); fi
+	if [ ! -z "$(RANLIB)" ]; then $(RANLIB) $(OUT_FILE_LIB); fi
 
 $(OUT_FILE_JNI): $(TMP_DIR) $(OBJ_FILES_JNI) $(OBJ_FILES_JAR) $(OUT_FILE_LIB)
 	$(LIBTOOL_LINK) $(CC) -rpath $(TOP_INSTALLDIR)/lib -version-info 1:0:0 -o $(OUT_FILE_JNI) $(OBJ_FILES_SO) -lm -L$(OUT_DIR) -l$(NAME) -lasecmn -laseutl
@@ -110,11 +111,11 @@ $(OUT_FILE_JNI): $(TMP_DIR) $(OBJ_FILES_JNI) $(OBJ_FILES_JAR) $(OUT_FILE_LIB)
 
 $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CXX): $(TMP_DIR_CXX) $(OUT_DIR) $(OUT_FILE_LIB) $(OBJ_FILES_LIB_CXX)
 	$(AR) cr $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CXX) $(OBJ_FILES_LIB_CXX)
-	if [ "$(RANLIB)" = "ranlib" ]; then ranlib $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CXX); fi
+	if [ ! -z "$(RANLIB)" ]; then $(RANLIB) $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CXX); fi
 
 $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CJ): $(TMP_DIR_CJ) $(OUT_DIR) $(OBJ_FILES_LIB_CJ)
 	$(AR) cr $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CJ) $(OBJ_FILES_LIB_CJ)
-	if [ "$(RANLIB)" = "ranlib" ]; then ranlib $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CJ); fi
+	if [ ! -z "$(RANLIB)" ]; then $(RANLIB) $(OUT_FILE_LIB_CJ); fi
 
 $(TMP_DIR)/awk.o: awk.c
 	$(LIBTOOL_COMPILE) $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c awk.c
diff --git a/ase/cmn/makefile.in b/ase/cmn/makefile.in
index 2ed9ebb1..7b3afbef 100644
--- a/ase/cmn/makefile.in
+++ b/ase/cmn/makefile.in
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ lib: $(OUT_FILE)
 
 $(OUT_FILE): $(TMP_DIR) $(OBJ_FILES) $(OUT_DIR)
 	$(AR) cr $(OUT_FILE) $(OBJ_FILES)
-	if [ "$(RANLIB)" = "ranlib" ]; then ranlib $(OUT_FILE); fi
+	if [ ! -z "$(RANLIB)" ]; then $(RANLIB) $(OUT_FILE); fi
 	
 $(TMP_DIR)/mem.o: mem.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c mem.c
diff --git a/ase/utl/makefile.in b/ase/utl/makefile.in
index 6bd38824..6b09229e 100644
--- a/ase/utl/makefile.in
+++ b/ase/utl/makefile.in
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ lib: $(OUT_FILE)
 
 $(OUT_FILE): $(TMP_DIR) $(OBJ_FILES) $(OUT_DIR)
 	$(AR) cr $(OUT_FILE) $(OBJ_FILES)
-	if [ "$(RANLIB)" = "ranlib" ]; then ranlib $(OUT_FILE); fi
+	if [ ! -z "$(RANLIB)" ]; then $(RANLIB) $(OUT_FILE); fi
 	
 $(TMP_DIR)/main.o: main.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c main.c