--- a/build/moz.configure/init.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/init.configure
@@ -255,16 +255,17 @@ def wanted_mozconfig_variables(help):
          'DSYMUTIL',
          'EXTERNAL_SOURCE_DIR',
          'GENISOIMAGE',
          'MOZILLABUILD',
          'MOZ_ARTIFACT_BUILDS',
          'MOZ_BUILD_APP',
          'PERL',
          'RPMBUILD',
+         'TAR',
          'UNZIP',
          'XARGS',
          'ZIP',
      ])
 
 
 @depends(mozconfig, wanted_mozconfig_variables)
 def mozconfig_options(mozconfig, wanted_mozconfig_variables):

--- a/js/src/old-configure.in
+++ b/js/src/old-configure.in
@@ -446,24 +446,16 @@ AC_SUBST(GNU_LD)
 AC_SUBST(GNU_CC)
 AC_SUBST(GNU_CXX)
 AC_SUBST(INTEL_CC)
 AC_SUBST(INTEL_CXX)
 
 dnl ========================================================
 dnl Checks for programs.
 dnl ========================================================
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for tar archiver])
-AC_CHECK_PROGS(TAR, gnutar gtar tar, "")
-if test -z "$TAR"; then
-    AC_MSG_WARN([no tar archiver found in \$PATH])
-fi
-AC_MSG_RESULT([$TAR])
-AC_SUBST(TAR)
-
 if test -z "$COMPILE_ENVIRONMENT"; then
     NSINSTALL_BIN='$(PYTHON) $(topsrcdir)/config/nsinstall.py'
 fi
 AC_SUBST(NSINSTALL_BIN)
 
 if test "$COMPILE_ENVIRONMENT"; then
 
 dnl ========================================================

--- a/moz.configure
+++ b/moz.configure
@@ -109,16 +109,17 @@ def perl_version_check(min_version):
                   'A full perl installation is required.')
 
 perl_version_check('5.006')
 
 
 # Miscellaneous programs
 # ==============================================================
 check_prog('DOXYGEN', ('doxygen',), allow_missing=True)
+check_prog('TAR', ('gnutar', 'gtar', 'tar'))
 check_prog('UNZIP', ('unzip',))
 check_prog('XARGS', ('xargs',))
 check_prog('ZIP', ('zip',))
 
 @depends(target)
 def mac_programs(target):
     if target.os == 'Darwin':
         check_prog('DSYMUTIL', ('dsymutil', 'llvm-dsymutil'), allow_missing=True)

--- a/old-configure.in
+++ b/old-configure.in
@@ -5682,22 +5682,16 @@ if test "$OS_ARCH" = "WINNT"; then
       fi
     elif test -z "$CROSS_COMPILE"; then
       AC_MSG_ERROR([To build the installer you must have the latest MozillaBuild or NSIS version $MIN_NSIS_MAJOR_VER.$MIN_NSIS_MINOR_VER$MIN_NSIS_PRERELEASE_TYPE$MIN_NSIS_PRERELEASE_VER or greater in your path.])
     else
       MAKENSISU=
     fi
 fi
 
-AC_CHECK_PROGS(TAR, gnutar gtar tar, "")
-if test -z "$TAR"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([no tar archiver found in \$PATH])
-fi
-AC_SUBST(TAR)
-
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(WGET, wget, "")
 AC_SUBST(WGET)
 
 dnl ========================================================
 dnl Maintenance Service
 dnl ========================================================
 
 MOZ_ARG_ENABLE_BOOL(maintenance-service,