diff --git a/src/helper/slbt_archive_import.c b/src/helper/slbt_archive_import.c
index 620ac3b..924a54f 100644
--- a/src/helper/slbt_archive_import.c
+++ b/src/helper/slbt_archive_import.c
@@ -8,19 +8,55 @@
 #include "slibtool_driver_impl.h"
 #include "slibtool_errinfo_impl.h"
 
+/* legacy fallback, no longer in use */
 extern int slbt_archive_import_mri(
 	const struct slbt_driver_ctx *	dctx,
 	struct slbt_exec_ctx *		ectx,
 	char *				dstarchive,
 	char *				srcarchive);
 
+/* use slibtool's in-memory archive merging facility */
+static int slbt_archive_import_impl(
+	const struct slbt_driver_ctx *	dctx,
+	struct slbt_exec_ctx *		ectx,
+	char *				dstarchive,
+	char *				srcarchive)
+{
+	int                             ret;
+	struct slbt_archive_ctx *       arctxv[3] = {0,0,0};
+	struct slbt_archive_ctx *       arctx;
+
+	(void)ectx;
+
+	if (slbt_get_archive_ctx(dctx,dstarchive,&arctxv[0]) < 0)
+		return SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx);
+
+	if (slbt_get_archive_ctx(dctx,srcarchive,&arctxv[1]) < 0) {
+		slbt_free_archive_ctx(arctxv[0]);
+		return SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx);
+	}
+
+	ret = slbt_merge_archives(arctxv,&arctx);
+
+	slbt_free_archive_ctx(arctxv[0]);
+	slbt_free_archive_ctx(arctxv[1]);
+
+	if (ret == 0) {
+		ret = slbt_store_archive(arctx,dstarchive,0644);
+		slbt_free_archive_ctx(arctx);
+	}
+
+	return (ret < 0) ? SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx) : 0;
+}
+
+
 int slbt_archive_import(
 	const struct slbt_driver_ctx *	dctx,
 	struct slbt_exec_ctx *		ectx,
 	char *				dstarchive,
 	char *				srcarchive)
 {
-	return slbt_archive_import_mri(
+	return slbt_archive_import_impl(
 		dctx,ectx,
 		dstarchive,
 		srcarchive);