diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 3bf840d11..db136c7eb 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -1304,7 +1304,11 @@ int dummy;
         if static_linker is None:
             return
         rule = 'rule STATIC%s_LINKER\n' % crstr
-        if mesonlib.is_windows():
+        # We don't use @file.rsp on Windows with ArLinker because llvm-ar and
+        # gcc-ar blindly pass the --plugin argument to `ar` and you cannot pass
+        # options as arguments while using the @file.rsp syntax.
+        # See: https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/1646
+        if mesonlib.is_windows() and not isinstance(static_linker, compilers.ArLinker):
             command_template = ''' command = {executable} @$out.rsp
  rspfile = $out.rsp
  rspfile_content = $LINK_ARGS {output_args} $in