diff --git a/include/ar.h b/include/ar.h
index b565ac90bf2..d5636b3623c 100644
--- a/include/ar.h
+++ b/include/ar.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #define	SARMAG	8
 
 #define	ARFMAG	"`\n"
-#define SARNAME	64
+#define	SARNAME	16
 
 struct	ar_hdr
 {
diff --git a/src/cmd/ld/lib.c b/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
index 8f95665b335..33fa0d15462 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
@@ -313,15 +313,9 @@ nextar(Biobuf *bp, int off, struct ar_hdr *a)
 			return 0;
 		return -1;
 	}
-	if(r == SAR_HDR) {
-		memmove(a, buf, SAR_HDR);
-	} else if (r == SAR_HDR-SARNAME+16) {	// old Plan 9
-		memset(a->name, ' ', sizeof a->name);
-		memmove(a, buf, 16);
-		memmove((char*)a+SARNAME, buf+16, SAR_HDR-SARNAME);
-	} else {	// unexpected
+	if(r != SAR_HDR)
 		return -1;
-	}
+	memmove(a, buf, SAR_HDR);
 	if(strncmp(a->fmag, ARFMAG, sizeof a->fmag))
 		return -1;
 	arsize = strtol(a->size, 0, 0);
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/types/exportdata.go b/src/pkg/exp/types/exportdata.go
index 383520320f4..784ffff01a3 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/types/exportdata.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/types/exportdata.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 
 func readGopackHeader(buf *bufio.Reader) (name string, size int, err os.Error) {
 	// See $GOROOT/include/ar.h.
-	hdr := make([]byte, 64+12+6+6+8+10+2)
+	hdr := make([]byte, 16+12+6+6+8+10+2)
 	_, err = io.ReadFull(buf, hdr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ func readGopackHeader(buf *bufio.Reader) (name string, size int, err os.Error) {
 	if trace {
 		fmt.Printf("header: %s", hdr)
 	}
-	s := strings.TrimSpace(string(hdr[64+12+6+6+8:][:10]))
+	s := strings.TrimSpace(string(hdr[16+12+6+6+8:][:10]))
 	size, err = strconv.Atoi(s)
 	if err != nil || hdr[len(hdr)-2] != '`' || hdr[len(hdr)-1] != '\n' {
 		err = os.NewError("invalid archive header")
 		return
 	}
-	name = strings.TrimSpace(string(hdr[:64]))
+	name = strings.TrimSpace(string(hdr[:16]))
 	return
 }