diff --git a/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/default.nix
index e23dd5f0bd14..345974bed58d 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ stdenv, fetchurl, libuuid }:
+{ stdenv, fetchurl, libuuid, autoreconfHook }:
 
 let version = "3.6.24"; in
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "0q07df9wxxih8714a3mdp61h5n347l7j2a0l351acs3xapzgwi3y";
   };
 
+  patches = [ ./reiserfsprogs-ar-fix.patch ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ autoreconfHook ];
   buildInputs = [ libuuid ];
 
   NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-std=gnu90";
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/reiserfsprogs-ar-fix.patch b/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/reiserfsprogs-ar-fix.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..356782a3d984
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/filesystems/reiserfsprogs/reiserfsprogs-ar-fix.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+--- reiserfsprogs-3.6.24/configure.ac.orig	2018-11-29 17:16:52.313624894 +0300
++++ reiserfsprogs-3.6.24/configure.ac	2018-11-29 17:16:54.480669132 +0300
+@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
+ AC_PROG_LN_S
+ AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
+ AC_PROG_RANLIB
++AM_PROG_AR
+ 
+ dnl Checks for libraries.
+