diff --git a/cle/backends/static_archive.py b/cle/backends/static_archive.py
index 0e804ab4..98ced876 100644
--- a/cle/backends/static_archive.py
+++ b/cle/backends/static_archive.py
@@ -1,13 +1,52 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
+from io import SEEK_END, BufferedReader
 
 import arpy
 
+from cle.errors import CLEInvalidBinaryError
+
 from .backend import Backend, register_backend
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# An ar member header is 16 bytes of name, 12 + 6 + 6 + 8 of metadata, 10 bytes of decimal size, then this magic.
+AR_HEADER_LEN = 60
+AR_HEADER_MAGIC = b"`\n"
+
+
+def _skip_sym64_symbol_table(stream: BufferedReader, offset: int) -> int:
+    """
+    Return the offset of the first member of an ar archive, skipping the symbol table at ``offset`` if it is the 64-bit
+    variant.
+
+    The symbol table is the first member of the archive, named "/" for the 32-bit index and "/SYM64/" for the 64-bit
+    one. arpy only knows the first spelling: it classifies "/SYM64/" as a member whose real name lives in the long
+    filename table, then raises ValueError parsing "SYM64" as the offset into that table. arpy discards the symbol
+    table for either spelling, so skipping the member loses nothing.
+
+    Anything that does not look like a 64-bit symbol table lying inside the file leaves the offset alone, so arpy
+    reports malformed archives as usual.
+    """
+    stream.seek(0, SEEK_END)
+    file_len = stream.tell()
+
+    stream.seek(offset)
+    header = stream.read(AR_HEADER_LEN)
+    if len(header) < AR_HEADER_LEN or header[58:60] != AR_HEADER_MAGIC or header[:16].rstrip() != b"/SYM64/":
+        return offset
+
+    try:
+        size = int(header[48:58])
+    except ValueError:
+        return offset
+
+    end = offset + AR_HEADER_LEN + size
+    if size < 0 or end > file_len:
+        return offset
+    return end + end % 2  # members start at an even offset
+
 
 class StaticArchive(Backend):
     @classmethod
@@ -27,8 +66,13 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         if self.loader._main_object is None:
             self.loader._main_object = self
 
-        ar = arpy.Archive(fileobj=self._binary_stream)
-        ar.read_all_headers()
+        try:
+            ar = arpy.Archive(fileobj=self._binary_stream)
+            ar.next_header_offset = _skip_sym64_symbol_table(self._binary_stream, ar.next_header_offset)
+            ar.read_all_headers()
+        except (arpy.ArchiveFormatError, arpy.ArchiveAccessError, ValueError) as e:
+            raise CLEInvalidBinaryError(f"Malformed static archive {self.binary_basename}") from e
+
         for name, stream in ar.archived_files.items():
             child = self.loader._load_object_isolated(stream)
             child.binary = child.binary_basename = name.decode()
diff --git a/tests/test_static_archive.py b/tests/test_static_archive.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..820ac417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_static_archive.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+
+import cle
+
+TEST_BASE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), os.path.join("..", "..", "binaries"))
+
+# A MIPS64 big-endian static library indexed by a 64-bit "/SYM64/" symbol table, holding one member.
+SYM64_ARCHIVE = os.path.join(TEST_BASE, "tests", "mips64", "sym64_archive.a")
+
+# An ARM static library indexed by an ordinary 32-bit "/" symbol table, with a "//" long filename table.
+GNU_ARCHIVE = os.path.join(
+    TEST_BASE,
+    "tests_src",
+    "i2c_master_read-nucleol152re",
+    "mbed",
+    "TARGET_NUCLEO_L152RE",
+    "TOOLCHAIN_GCC_ARM",
+    "libmbed.a",
+)
+
+# The symbol table is the first member of an archive, so its header follows the 8-byte global header. Inside a 60-byte
+# member header the decimal size occupies bytes 48 to 58 and the terminating magic occupies the last two.
+FIRST_HEADER = 8
+SIZE_FIELD = slice(48, 58)
+MAGIC_FIELD = slice(58, 60)
+
+
+def patched(path: str, header_offset: int, field: slice, value: bytes) -> bytes:
+    """
+    Read an archive and overwrite one field of the member header at `header_offset`, to get a malformed archive that
+    differs from a real one in exactly that field.
+    """
+    with open(path, "rb") as f:
+        data = bytearray(f.read())
+    data[header_offset + field.start : header_offset + field.stop] = value
+    return bytes(data)
+
+
+class TestStaticArchive(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    Test the AR backend.
+    """
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _load_bytes(data: bytes) -> cle.Loader:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
+            path = os.path.join(directory, "libtest.a")
+            with open(path, "wb") as f:
+                f.write(data)
+            return cle.Loader(path, auto_load_libs=False)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _load_archive(path: str, **options) -> cle.StaticArchive:
+        """
+        Load an archive from disk, which the AR backend has to claim.
+        """
+        ld = cle.Loader(path, auto_load_libs=False, **options)
+        assert isinstance(ld.main_object, cle.StaticArchive)
+        return ld.main_object
+
+    def test_symbol_table(self):
+        # An ordinary archive must keep loading: the 64-bit symbol table is skipped by name, so nothing else moves.
+        # rebase_granularity works around an unrelated R_ARM_THM_CALL range failure on this library, as cle's own error
+        # message for it suggests.
+        archive = self._load_archive(GNU_ARCHIVE, rebase_granularity=0x1000)
+        assert archive.arch.name == "ARMCortexM"
+        children = [child.binary_basename for child in archive.child_objects]
+        assert children[:3] == ["AnalogIn.o", "BusIn.o", "BusOut.o"]
+        # Names too long for the 16-byte header field come out of the "//" table.
+        assert "mbed_wait_api_no_rtos.o" in children
+
+    def test_sym64_symbol_table(self):
+        archive = self._load_archive(SYM64_ARCHIVE)
+        assert archive.arch.name == "MIPS64"
+        assert archive.arch.memory_endness == "Iend_BE"
+        children = [child.binary_basename for child in archive.child_objects]
+        assert children == ["x11_xcb.o"]
+        symbols = {symbol.name for symbol in archive.child_objects[0].symbols}
+        assert "XGetXCBConnection" in symbols
+
+    def test_bad_header_magic(self):
+        # A member header with no terminating magic. arpy raises ArchiveFormatError, which is not a CLEError.
+        with self.assertRaises(cle.CLEInvalidBinaryError):
+            self._load_bytes(patched(GNU_ARCHIVE, FIRST_HEADER, MAGIC_FIELD, b"XX"))
+
+    def test_sym64_size_past_end(self):
+        # A 64-bit symbol table whose header claims a size running past the end of the file. Trusting that size would
+        # skip the whole archive and drop every member, so leave the table for arpy, which rejects the archive: it
+        # reads "/SYM64/" as a member whose name is an offset into the long filename table and raises ValueError.
+        with self.assertRaises(cle.CLEInvalidBinaryError):
+            self._load_bytes(patched(SYM64_ARCHIVE, FIRST_HEADER, SIZE_FIELD, b"999999999 "))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()