diff --git a/src/tools/compiletest/src/header/needs.rs b/src/tools/compiletest/src/header/needs.rs
index 5b2665f7d0ba7..06423697ee7d1 100644
--- a/src/tools/compiletest/src/header/needs.rs
+++ b/src/tools/compiletest/src/header/needs.rs
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ pub(super) fn handle_needs(
             condition: config.runner.as_ref().is_some_and(|r| r.contains("wasmtime")),
             ignore_reason: "ignored when wasmtime runner is not available",
         },
+        Need {
+            name: "needs-ar",
+            condition: !config.target.contains("msvc"),
+            ignore_reason: "ignored when ar command is not available",
+        },
         Need {
             name: "needs-symlink",
             condition: cache.symlinks,
diff --git a/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs b/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs
index 487132683e920..14b4f14e8f0cd 100644
--- a/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@ pub fn target() -> String {
     env_var("TARGET")
 }
 
+/// `AR`
+#[track_caller]
+#[must_use]
+pub fn ar_command() -> Command {
+    let ar_path = env_var("AR");
+    Command::new(ar_path)
+}
+
 /// Check if target is windows-like.
 #[must_use]
 pub fn is_windows() -> bool {
diff --git a/src/tools/tidy/src/allowed_run_make_makefiles.txt b/src/tools/tidy/src/allowed_run_make_makefiles.txt
index 07073ef5d40c7..d90b19c024ec8 100644
--- a/src/tools/tidy/src/allowed_run_make_makefiles.txt
+++ b/src/tools/tidy/src/allowed_run_make_makefiles.txt
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ run-make/incr-add-rust-src-component/Makefile
 run-make/incr-foreign-head-span/Makefile
 run-make/interdependent-c-libraries/Makefile
 run-make/intrinsic-unreachable/Makefile
-run-make/invalid-library/Makefile
 run-make/invalid-so/Makefile
 run-make/issue-107094/Makefile
 run-make/issue-109934-lto-debuginfo/Makefile
diff --git a/tests/run-make/invalid-library/Makefile b/tests/run-make/invalid-library/Makefile
deleted file mode 100644
index 910d9af7b0564..0000000000000
--- a/tests/run-make/invalid-library/Makefile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-include ../tools.mk
-
-all:
-	touch $(TMPDIR)/lib.rmeta
-	$(AR) crus $(TMPDIR)/libfoo-ffffffff-1.0.rlib $(TMPDIR)/lib.rmeta
-	$(RUSTC) foo.rs 2>&1 | $(CGREP) "found invalid metadata"
diff --git a/tests/run-make/invalid-library/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/invalid-library/rmake.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..310c916f82ce3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/run-make/invalid-library/rmake.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+//@ needs-ar
+
+use run_make_support::fs_wrapper::create_file;
+use run_make_support::{ar_command, rustc};
+
+fn main() {
+    create_file("lib.rmeta");
+    ar_command().arg("crus").arg("libfoo-ffffffff-1.0.rlib").arg("lib.rmeta").run();
+    rustc().input("foo.rs").run_fail().assert_stderr_contains("found invalid metadata");
+}