diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index 595139662d..d27e126243 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@
    Entries may not always be in chronological/commit order.
    See license at the end of file. */
 
+2025-07-07 16:17 UTC+0200 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
+  * config/win/clang.mk
+    + add resource compiler detection chain to first stage,
+      now harbour.exe binary should also have manifest resource
+      compiled in when clang is used. Previously second stage rc
+      calling was implemented only in hbmk2.
+
+  * utils/hbmk2/hbmk2.prg
+    ! fixed disappearing llvm-ar with fallback to ar, spotted
+      in windows-ci/MSYS2
+
 2025-07-07 13:42 UTC+0200 Aleksander Czajczynski (hb fki.pl)
   * .github/workflows/windows-ci.yml
     * libgd, qt5-base not available in MSYS x86
diff --git a/config/win/clang.mk b/config/win/clang.mk
index ca881587ea..94445490b7 100644
--- a/config/win/clang.mk
+++ b/config/win/clang.mk
@@ -50,11 +50,40 @@ LDLIBS := $(foreach lib,$(HB_USER_LIBS) $(LIBS) $(SYSLIBS),-l$(lib))
 
 LDFLAGS += $(LIBPATHS)
 
-AR := $(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-ar
+HB_AR_PATH := $(call find_in_path,$(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-ar)
+ifneq ($(HB_AR_PATH),)
+   AR := $(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-ar
+else
+   AR := $(HB_CCPREFIX)ar
+endif
 
 AR_RULE = ( $(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $(HB_AFLAGS) $(HB_USER_AFLAGS) rcs $(LIB_DIR)/$@ $(^F) $(ARSTRIP) ) || ( $(RM) $(subst /,$(DIRSEP),$(LIB_DIR)/$@) && $(FALSE) )
 
-# TODO: add resource compiler detect chain in this stage: GNU windres, llvm-windres, llvm-rc
+# order of resource compiler detect chain in this stage (hbmk2 uses similar):
+# GNU windres, llvm-windres, llvm-rc
+# non-GNU shown resource file encoding issues
+
+RC_OUT := -o$(subst x,x, )
+RCFLAGS += -I. -I$(HB_HOST_INC) -O coff
+RES_EXT := .reso
+
+HB_RC_PATH := $(call find_in_path,$(HB_CCPREFIX)windres)
+ifneq ($(HB_RC_PATH),)
+   RC := $(HB_CCPREFIX)windres
+else
+   HB_RC_PATH := $(call find_in_path,$(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-windres)
+   ifneq ($(HB_RC_PATH),)
+      RC := $(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-windres
+   else
+      HB_RC_PATH := $(call find_in_path,$(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-rc)
+      ifneq ($(HB_RC_PATH),)
+         RC := $(HB_CCPREFIX)llvm-rc
+         RCFLAGS := /I. /I$(HB_HOST_INC) /C 1252
+         RC_OUT := /FO$(subst x,x, )
+         RES_EXT := .res
+      endif
+   endif
+endif
 
 DY := $(CC)
 DFLAGS += -shared $(LIBPATHS)
diff --git a/utils/hbmk2/hbmk2.prg b/utils/hbmk2/hbmk2.prg
index f3ac61dd69..650f6ef7ef 100644
--- a/utils/hbmk2/hbmk2.prg
+++ b/utils/hbmk2/hbmk2.prg
@@ -4481,7 +4481,8 @@ STATIC FUNCTION __hbmk( aArgs, nArgTarget, nLevel, /* @ */ lPause, /* @ */ lExit
             cLibLibExt := ".a"
          ENDIF
          cImpLibExt := cLibLibExt
-         IF hbmk[ _HBMK_cCOMP ] == "clang"
+         IF hbmk[ _HBMK_cCOMP ] == "clang" .AND. !( FindInPath( hbmk[ _HBMK_cCCPREFIX ] + "llvm-ar" + hbmk[ _HBMK_cCCEXT ] ) == NIL )
+            /* new clang toolchains not always distribute llvm-ar (or it is renamed) */
             cBin_Lib := hbmk[ _HBMK_cCCPREFIX ] + "llvm-ar" + hbmk[ _HBMK_cCCEXT ]
          ELSEIF hbmk[ _HBMK_cCOMP ] == "tcc"
             cBin_Lib := "tiny_libmaker.exe"