diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index 2fa9372074..1a12916f56 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ F: meson.build
 F: meson_options.txt
 F: config/
 F: buildtools/call-sphinx-build.py
-F: buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.sh
 F: buildtools/list-dir-globs.py
 F: buildtools/pkg-config/
 F: buildtools/symlink-drivers-solibs.sh
@@ -135,6 +134,7 @@ Driver information
 M: Neil Horman <nhorman@tuxdriver.com>
 M: Dmitry Kozlyuk <dmitry.kozliuk@gmail.com>
 F: buildtools/coff.py
+F: buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.py
 F: buildtools/pmdinfogen.py
 F: usertools/dpdk-pmdinfo.py
 F: doc/guides/tools/pmdinfo.rst
diff --git a/buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.py b/buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f1f289ffee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright (c) 2020 Dmitry Kozlyuk <dmitry.kozliuk@gmail.com>
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+_, ar, archive, output, *pmdinfogen = sys.argv
+with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp:
+    proc = subprocess.run(
+        # Don't use "ar p", because its output is corrupted on Windows.
+        [ar, "xv", os.path.abspath(archive)], capture_output=True, check=True, cwd=temp
+    )
+    lines = proc.stdout.decode().splitlines()
+    names = [line[len("x - ") :] for line in lines]
+    paths = [os.path.join(temp, name) for name in names]
+    subprocess.run(pmdinfogen + paths + [output], check=True)
diff --git a/buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.sh b/buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 109ee461e8..0000000000
--- a/buildtools/gen-pmdinfo-cfile.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-#! /bin/sh
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
-# Copyright(c) 2017 Intel Corporation
-
-arfile=$1
-output=$2
-shift 2
-pmdinfogen=$*
-
-# The generated file must not be empty if compiled in pedantic mode
-echo 'static __attribute__((unused)) const char *generator = "'$0'";' > $output
-for ofile in `ar t $arfile` ; do
-	ar p $arfile $ofile | $pmdinfogen - - >> $output
-done
diff --git a/buildtools/meson.build b/buildtools/meson.build
index 23cefd4beb..0a2e91a7b9 100644
--- a/buildtools/meson.build
+++ b/buildtools/meson.build
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 # Copyright(c) 2017-2019 Intel Corporation
 
 pkgconf = find_program('pkg-config', 'pkgconf', required: false)
-pmdinfo = find_program('gen-pmdinfo-cfile.sh')
 list_dir_globs = find_program('list-dir-globs.py')
 check_symbols = find_program('check-symbols.sh')
 ldflags_ibverbs_static = find_program('options-ibverbs-static.sh')
@@ -18,11 +17,18 @@ endif
 map_to_win_cmd = py3 + files('map_to_win.py')
 sphinx_wrapper = py3 + files('call-sphinx-build.py')
 
-# select object file format
+# select library and object file format
+pmdinfo = py3 + files('gen-pmdinfo-cfile.py')
 pmdinfogen = py3 + files('pmdinfogen.py')
 if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
+	if cc.get_id() == 'gcc'
+		pmdinfo += 'ar'
+	else
+		pmdinfo += 'llvm-ar'
+	endif
 	pmdinfogen += 'coff'
 else
+	pmdinfo += 'ar'
 	pmdinfogen += 'elf'
 endif
 
diff --git a/buildtools/pmdinfogen.py b/buildtools/pmdinfogen.py
index 965c08945e..893a6c5717 100755
--- a/buildtools/pmdinfogen.py
+++ b/buildtools/pmdinfogen.py
@@ -233,6 +233,12 @@ def open_output(path):
     return open(path, "w")
 
 
+def write_header(output):
+    output.write(
+        "static __attribute__((unused)) const char *generator = \"%s\";\n" % sys.argv[0]
+    )
+
+
 def main():
     args = parse_args()
     if args.input.count('-') > 1:
@@ -241,6 +247,7 @@ def main():
         raise Exception("elftools module not found")
 
     output = open_output(args.output)
+    write_header(output)
     for path in args.input:
         image = load_image(args.format, path)
         drivers = load_drivers(image)