http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2013-12/msg00023.html
https://bugs.gentoo.org/489170

--- tar-1.27.1/configure	2013-11-17 17:18:39.000000000 +0100
+++ tar-1.27.1/configure	2013-11-17 17:18:39.000000000 +0100
@@ -33619,19 +33619,20 @@
 fi
 
 
-  for ac_header in attr/xattr.h
+  for ac_header in sys/xattr.h attr/xattr.h
 do :
-  ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "attr/xattr.h" "ac_cv_header_attr_xattr_h" "$ac_includes_default"
-if test "x$ac_cv_header_attr_xattr_h" = xyes; then :
+  as_ac_Header=`$as_echo "ac_cv_header_$ac_header" | $as_tr_sh`
+ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "$ac_header" "$as_ac_Header" "$ac_includes_default"
+if eval test \"x\$"$as_ac_Header"\" = x"yes"; then :
   cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_ATTR_XATTR_H 1
+#define `$as_echo "HAVE_$ac_header" | $as_tr_cpp` 1
 _ACEOF
 
 fi
 
 done
 
-   if test "$ac_cv_header_attr_xattr_h" = yes; then
+   if test "$ac_cv_header_sys_xattr_h" = yes -o "$ac_cv_header_attr_xattr_h" = yes; then
   TAR_COND_XATTR_H_TRUE=
   TAR_COND_XATTR_H_FALSE='#'
 else
@@ -33639,30 +33640,130 @@
   TAR_COND_XATTR_H_FALSE=
 fi
 
-  if test "$ac_cv_header_attr_xattr_h" = yes; then
-    for ac_func in getxattr  fgetxattr  lgetxattr \
-                   setxattr  fsetxattr  lsetxattr \
-                   listxattr flistxattr llistxattr
-do :
-  as_ac_var=`$as_echo "ac_cv_func_$ac_func" | $as_tr_sh`
-ac_fn_c_check_func "$LINENO" "$ac_func" "$as_ac_var"
-if eval test \"x\$"$as_ac_var"\" = x"yes"; then :
+
+  if test "$with_xattrs" != no; then
+    # If <sys/xattr.h> doesn't exist and <attr/xattr.h> does,
+    # then link against libattr.so and not libc
+    if test "$ac_cv_header_sys_xattr_h" = no -a "$ac_cv_header_attr_xattr_h" = yes; then
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for fgetxattr in -lattr" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for fgetxattr in -lattr... " >&6; }
+if ${ac_cv_lib_attr_fgetxattr+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lattr  $LIBS"
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char fgetxattr ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return fgetxattr ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_lib_attr_fgetxattr=yes
+else
+  ac_cv_lib_attr_fgetxattr=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_attr_fgetxattr" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_attr_fgetxattr" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_attr_fgetxattr" = xyes; then :
   cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define `$as_echo "HAVE_$ac_func" | $as_tr_cpp` 1
+#define HAVE_LIBATTR 1
 _ACEOF
- # only when functions are present
 
-$as_echo "#define HAVE_ATTR_XATTR_H 1" >>confdefs.h
+  LIBS="-lattr $LIBS"
 
-        if test "$with_xattrs" != no; then
+fi
 
-$as_echo "#define HAVE_XATTRS /**/" >>confdefs.h
+    fi
+    have_functions=yes
+    for xattr_func in getxattr  fgetxattr  lgetxattr \
+                      setxattr  fsetxattr  lsetxattr \
+                      listxattr flistxattr llistxattr; do \
+      as_ac_Search=`$as_echo "ac_cv_search_$xattr_func" | $as_tr_sh`
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing $xattr_func" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for library containing $xattr_func... " >&6; }
+if eval \${$as_ac_Search+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char $xattr_func ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return $xattr_func ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+for ac_lib in '' attr; do
+  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
+    ac_res="none required"
+  else
+    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
+    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
+  fi
+  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  eval "$as_ac_Search=\$ac_res"
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext
+  if eval \${$as_ac_Search+:} false; then :
+  break
+fi
+done
+if eval \${$as_ac_Search+:} false; then :
 
-        fi
+else
+  eval "$as_ac_Search=no"
+fi
+rm conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
+fi
+eval ac_res=\$$as_ac_Search
+	       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_res" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_res" >&6; }
+eval ac_res=\$$as_ac_Search
+if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
+  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
 
+else
+  have_functions=no
 fi
-done
 
+      test $have_functions = no && break
+    done
+    if test $have_functions = yes; then
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_XATTRS 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+    else
+      test "$with_xattrs" = yes && as_fn_error $? "xattr support requested but not found." "$LINENO" 5
+    fi
   fi
 
 
--- tar-1.27.1/lib/xattr-at.h	2013-03-14 21:18:10.000000000 +0100
+++ tar-1.27.1/lib/xattr-at.h	2013-03-14 21:18:10.000000000 +0100
@@ -20,7 +20,15 @@
 #define XATTRS_AT_H
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
-#include <attr/xattr.h>
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_XATTR_H)
+# include <sys/xattr.h>
+#elif defined(HAVE_ATTR_XATTR_H)
+# include <attr/xattr.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifndef ENOATTR
+# define ENOATTR ENODATA        /* No such attribute */
+#endif
 
 /* These are the dir-fd-relative variants of the functions without the
    "at" suffix.  For example, setxattrat (AT_FDCWD, path, name, value, size,