diff --git a/src/arbits/slbt_archive_meta.c b/src/arbits/slbt_archive_meta.c
index 24009a4..9a5d542 100644
--- a/src/arbits/slbt_archive_meta.c
+++ b/src/arbits/slbt_archive_meta.c
@@ -1165,6 +1165,9 @@ int slbt_get_archive_meta(
 	if (m->armaps.armap_common_64.ar_member)
 		m->armaps.armap_common_64.ar_num_of_members = nmembers;
 
+	/* number of archive members, including internal ones */
+	m->nentries = nentries;
+
 	/* pe/coff armap attributes (second linker member) */
 	(void)m->armeta.a_armap_pecoff;
 
diff --git a/src/internal/slibtool_ar_impl.h b/src/internal/slibtool_ar_impl.h
index ac4ffff..22fe0e3 100644
--- a/src/internal/slibtool_ar_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/slibtool_ar_impl.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ struct ar_armaps_impl {
 };
 
 struct slbt_archive_meta_impl {
+	size_t                          nentries;
 	void *                          hdrinfov;
 	char *                          namestrs;
 	const char *                    symstrs;