diff --git a/common/environment/setup/archive.sh b/common/environment/setup/archive.sh
index 45fa96a8b1c..2c8e3657a3c 100644
--- a/common/environment/setup/archive.sh
+++ b/common/environment/setup/archive.sh
@@ -26,15 +26,11 @@ vextract() {
 		esac
 	done
 
-	local TAR_CMD sfx
+	local TAR_CMD="${tar_cmd}"
+	local sfx
 	local archive="$1"
 	local ret=0
 
-	# When tar is explicitly put *first* in hostmakedepends
-	# Some packages require tar to build but not for extraction
-	case "$hostmakedepends " in
-	"tar "*)   TAR_CMD="tar" ;;
-	esac
 	[ -z "$TAR_CMD" ] && TAR_CMD="$(command -v bsdtar)"
 	[ -z "$TAR_CMD" ] && TAR_CMD="$(command -v tar)"
 	[ -z "$TAR_CMD" ] && msg_error "xbps-src: no suitable tar cmd (bsdtar, tar)\n"
diff --git a/srcpkgs/kexec-tools/template b/srcpkgs/kexec-tools/template
index aa68b6f60a5..b5bd0903fa6 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/kexec-tools/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/kexec-tools/template
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ case "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" in
 	ppc-musl) nopie=yes;; # textrels not supported
 esac
 
+tar_cmd=tar
+
 pre_build() {
 	rm ${XBPS_WRAPPERDIR}/strip
 	case "$XBPS_TARGET_MACHINE" in