diff --git a/build/jam/BeOSRules b/build/jam/BeOSRules
index 4559bfb01b..9592fea8e9 100644
--- a/build/jam/BeOSRules
+++ b/build/jam/BeOSRules
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ actions ResAttr1
 {
 	$(HOST_ADD_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR)
 	if [ \\"$(deleteAttributeFile1)\\" = "true" ]; then
-		rm -f $(1)
+		$(RM) $(1)
 	fi
 	$(2[1]) -O -o "$(1)" "$(2[2-])"
 }
diff --git a/build/jam/BuildSetup b/build/jam/BuildSetup
index 386efd516c..c121f67b69 100644
--- a/build/jam/BuildSetup
+++ b/build/jam/BuildSetup
@@ -527,15 +527,21 @@ if $(HOST_PLATFORM_BEOS_COMPATIBLE) {
 # for builds of tools in the current environment
 HOST_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR = [ FDirName $(HOST_OBJECT_BASE_DIR) lib ] ;
 
+# For the generic attributes emulation: Target rm_attrs -- rm replacement that
+# also removes the attributes.
+HOST_RM_ATTRS_TARGET = ;
+
 if $(HOST_PLATFORM_BEOS_COMPATIBLE) {
 	HOST_LIBSTDC++ = stdc++.r4 ;
 	HOST_LIBROOT = root ;
+	HOST_STATIC_LIBROOT = $(HOST_LIBROOT) ;
 	HOST_LIBBE = be ;
 	HOST_ADD_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR = ;
 	HOST_LIBRARY_NAME_MAP_input_server = /system/servers/input_server ;
 } else {
 	HOST_LIBSTDC++ = stdc++ ;
 	HOST_LIBROOT = libroot_build.so ;
+	HOST_STATIC_LIBROOT = libroot_build.a ;
 	HOST_LIBBE = libbe_build.so ;
 	HOST_ADD_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR
 		= "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$(HOST_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR)" ;
@@ -556,8 +562,10 @@ if $(HOST_PLATFORM_BEOS_COMPATIBLE) {
 	# Unlike glibc FreeBSD's libc doesn't have built-in regex support.
 	if $(HOST_PLATFORM) = freebsd {
 		HOST_LIBROOT += /usr/lib/libgnuregex.so ;
+		HOST_STATIC_LIBROOT += /usr/lib/libgnuregex.so ;
 	} else if $(HOST_PLATFORM) = darwin {
 		HOST_LIBROOT += /opt/local/lib/libgnuregex.dylib ;
+		HOST_STATIC_LIBROOT += /opt/local/lib/libgnuregex.dylib ;
 	}
 
 
@@ -580,6 +588,19 @@ if $(HOST_PLATFORM_BEOS_COMPATIBLE) {
 	# which is somewhat more robust.
 	if $(HAIKU_HOST_USE_XATTR) = 1 {
 		HOST_DEFINES += HAIKU_HOST_USE_XATTR ;
+	} else {
+		# Otherwise the generic attribute emulation is used, which uses a
+		# directory per file to store its attribute. We need to redefine RM so
+		# that the attributes are removed as well. We use a wrapper script, which
+		# invokes a build tool. If the build tool hasn't been built yet, the
+		# normal "rm" is used and the attributes are leaked (likely there aren't
+		# any yet).
+		RM = $(HOST_ADD_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR) ";"
+			[ FDirName $(HAIKU_TOP) build scripts rm_attrs ]
+			[ FDirName $(HAIKU_OBJECT_DIR) $(HOST_PLATFORM) $(HOST_ARCH) release
+				tools rm_attrs ] -f ;
+			# assumes that rm_attrs is built with debugging disabled
+		HOST_RM_ATTRS_TARGET = <build>rm_attrs ;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/build/jam/HaikuImage b/build/jam/HaikuImage
index b3c6dd15cd..19c4b2ee64 100644
--- a/build/jam/HaikuImage
+++ b/build/jam/HaikuImage
@@ -664,6 +664,12 @@ AddVariableToScript $(script) : sourceDirsToCopy
 	: $(HAIKU_INSTALL_SOURCE_DIRS) ;
 AddVariableToScript $(script) : headerDirsToCopy
 	: $(HAIKU_INSTALL_HEADER_DIRS) ;
+if $(HOST_RM_ATTRS_TARGET) {
+	AddTargetVariableToScript $(script) : $(HOST_RM_ATTRS_TARGET) : rmAttrs ;
+} else {
+	AddVariableToScript $(script) : rmAttrs : rm ;
+}
+
 
 # create the other scripts
 HAIKU_IMAGE_MAKE_DIRS_SCRIPT = <HaikuImage>haiku.image-make-dirs ;
diff --git a/build/jam/ImageRules b/build/jam/ImageRules
index 10504b952b..3eda4c8938 100644
--- a/build/jam/ImageRules
+++ b/build/jam/ImageRules
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ rule InitScript
 
 actions InitScript1
 {
-	rm -f $(1)
+	$(RM) $(1)
 	echo -n > $(1)
 }
 
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ rule BuildVMWareImage vmwareImage : plainImage : imageSize
 
 actions BuildVMWareImage1
 {
-	rm -f $(1)
+	$(RM) $(1)
 	$(2[1]) -h 64k -i$(IMAGE_SIZE)M $(1) &&
 	cat $(2[2]) >> $(1)
 }
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ rule BuildFloppyBootImage image : zbeos : archive
 
 actions BuildFloppyBootImage1
 {
-	rm -f $(<)
+	$(RM) $(<)
 	# make an empty image
 	dd if=/dev/zero of=$(<) bs=1k count=1440
 	# add zbeos
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ rule BuildCDBootImage image : bootfloppy : extrafiles
 
 actions BuildCDBootImage1
 {
-	rm -f $(<)
+	$(RM) $(<)
 	mkisofs -b $(BOOTIMG) -r -J -V bootimg -o $(<) $(>[1]) $(>[2-])
 }
 
diff --git a/build/jam/MainBuildRules b/build/jam/MainBuildRules
index 141411b390..b5b4f2a7ed 100644
--- a/build/jam/MainBuildRules
+++ b/build/jam/MainBuildRules
@@ -557,8 +557,9 @@ rule BuildPlatformMain
 
 		# add the build libroot
 		if ! $(HOST_PLATFORM_BEOS_COMPATIBLE) {
-			Depends $(target) : $(HOST_LIBROOT) ;
-			NEEDLIBS on $(target) += $(HOST_LIBROOT) ;
+			local libroot = [ on $(target) return $(HOST_LIBROOT) ] ;
+			Depends $(target) : $(libroot) ;
+			NEEDLIBS on $(target) += $(libroot) ;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -635,15 +636,15 @@ rule BuildPlatformMergeObjectPIC target : sources : otherObjects
 	BuildPlatformMergeObject $(target) : $(sources) : $(otherObjects) ;
 }
 
-rule BuildPlatformStaticLibrary
+rule BuildPlatformStaticLibrary lib : sources : otherObjects
 {
 	# BuildPlatformStaticLibrary <lib> : <sources> ;
 	# Creates a static library from sources.
-	# <lib>: The library.
+	# <lib>: The static library to be built.
 	# <sources>: List of source files.
+	# <otherObjects>: List of additional object files.
+	#
 
-	local lib = $(1) ;
-	local sources = $(2) ;
 	local objects = [ FGristFiles $(sources:S=$(SUFOBJ)) ] ;
 
 	PLATFORM on $(lib) = host ;
@@ -655,6 +656,6 @@ rule BuildPlatformStaticLibrary
 		USES_BE_API on $(objects) = $(usesBeAPI) ;
 	}
 
-	StaticLibrary $(lib) : $(sources) ;
+	StaticLibrary $(lib) : $(sources) : $(otherObjects) ;
 }
 
diff --git a/build/jam/OverriddenJamRules b/build/jam/OverriddenJamRules
index dd3ec73aff..1712f81b69 100644
--- a/build/jam/OverriddenJamRules
+++ b/build/jam/OverriddenJamRules
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ rule Link
 		SetType $(1) ;
 		MimeSet $(1) ;
 		SetVersion $(1) ;
+
+		# If the generic attribute emulation is enabled, make sure the tool to
+		# remove the attributes is built first.
+		if $(HOST_RM_ATTRS_TARGET) {
+			Depends $(1) : $(HOST_RM_ATTRS_TARGET) ;
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/build/scripts/build_haiku_image b/build/scripts/build_haiku_image
index ec1405d5bc..ac4e45c726 100755
--- a/build/scripts/build_haiku_image
+++ b/build/scripts/build_haiku_image
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 # makebootable
 # resattr
 # rc
+# rmAttrs
 # unzip
 # vmdkheader
 #
@@ -59,20 +60,6 @@ else
 fi
 
 
-# attribute-safe rm -rf
-# This makes sure there are no leftover attribute file before removing each file
-attrrmrf()
-{
-	test -e "$1" || return
-	if [ -d "$outputDir/attributes" ]; then
-		# test for gnu stat, else fallback to the bsd one.
-		statFormatOpt="-c"
-		stat -c '%i' . >/dev/null 2>&1 || statFormatOpt="-f"
-		find "$1" -print0 | xargs -0 stat $statFormatOpt %i | awk "{ print \"$outputDir/attributes/\" \$1 }" | xargs rm -rf
-	fi
-	rm -rf "$1"
-}
-
 unzipFile()
 {
 	# unzipFile <archive> <directory>
@@ -83,13 +70,13 @@ unzipFile()
 
 	if [ $isImage ]; then
 		unzipDir=$tmpDir/unzip
-		attrrmrf "$unzipDir"
+		$rmAttrs -rf "$unzipDir"
 		mkdir -p "$unzipDir"
 
 		$unzip -q -d "$unzipDir" "$zipFile"
 		$cp -r "${sPrefix}$unzipDir/." "${tPrefix}$targetUnzipDir"
 
-		attrrmrf "$unzipDir"
+		$rmAttrs -rf "$unzipDir"
 	else
 		$unzip -q -o -d "${tPrefix}$targetUnzipDir" "${sPrefix}$zipFile"
 	fi
@@ -192,7 +179,7 @@ if [ ! $updateOnly ]; then
 	done
 
 	# cleanup tmp dir
-	attrrmrf $mimeTmpDir
+	$rmAttrs -rf $mimeTmpDir
 fi	# ! updateOnly
 
 
diff --git a/build/scripts/rm_attrs b/build/scripts/rm_attrs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..1b76bb6bfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/scripts/rm_attrs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
+	echo "$0: Usage:..."
+	exit 1;
+fi
+
+rmAttrs=$1
+shift
+
+if [ -f $rmAttrs ]; then
+	$rmAttrs $@
+else
+	rm $@
+fi
diff --git a/src/tools/Jamfile b/src/tools/Jamfile
index 104468b3de..8f1151be94 100644
--- a/src/tools/Jamfile
+++ b/src/tools/Jamfile
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ local tools =
 	<build>listattr
 	<build>mimeset
 	<build>mkindex
+	<build>rm_attrs_tmp
 	<build>rmattr
 	<build>settype
 	<build>setversion
@@ -56,6 +57,14 @@ BuildPlatformMain <build>mimeset :
 
 BuildPlatformMain <build>mkindex : mkindex.cpp : $(HOST_LIBBE) ;
 
+# We want rm_attrs to be self-contained, so we link against the static libroot.
+HOST_LIBROOT on <build>rm_attrs_tmp = $(HOST_STATIC_LIBROOT) ;
+BuildPlatformMain <build>rm_attrs_tmp : rm_attrs.cpp
+	: $(HOST_LIBSUPC++) $(HOST_LIBSTDC++) ;
+MakeLocateDebug <build>rm_attrs ;
+File <build>rm_attrs : <build>rm_attrs_tmp ;
+MODE on <build>rm_attrs = 755 ;
+
 BuildPlatformMain <build>rmattr : rmattr.cpp : $(HOST_LIBBE) ;
 
 BuildPlatformMain <build>set_haiku_revision : set_haiku_revision.cpp
diff --git a/src/tools/rm_attrs.cpp b/src/tools/rm_attrs.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49a696ed45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/rm_attrs.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2008, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+
+#include <dirent.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+
+// exported by the generic attribute support in libroot_build.so
+extern "C" bool __get_attribute_dir_path(const struct stat* st, char* buffer);
+
+
+class Path {
+public:
+	bool Init(const char* path)
+	{
+		size_t len = strlen(path);
+		if (len == 0 || len >= PATH_MAX)
+			return false;
+
+		strcpy(fPath, path);
+		fPathLen = len;
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	const char* GetPath() const
+	{
+		return fPath;
+	}
+
+	char* Buffer()
+	{
+		return fPath;
+	}
+
+	void BufferChanged()
+	{
+		fPathLen = strlen(fPath);
+	}
+
+	bool PushLeaf(const char* leaf)
+	{
+		size_t leafLen = strlen(leaf);
+
+		int separatorLen = (fPath[fPathLen - 1] == '/' ? 0 : 1);
+		if (fPathLen + separatorLen + leafLen >= PATH_MAX)
+			return false;
+
+		if (separatorLen > 0)
+			fPath[fPathLen++] = '/';
+
+		strcpy(fPath + fPathLen, leaf);
+		fPathLen += leafLen;
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	bool PopLeaf()
+	{
+		char* lastSlash = strrchr(fPath, '/');
+		if (lastSlash == NULL || lastSlash == fPath)
+			return false;
+
+		*lastSlash = '\0';
+		fPathLen = lastSlash - fPath;
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	char	fPath[PATH_MAX];
+	size_t	fPathLen;
+};
+
+
+static bool remove_entry(Path& entry, bool recursive, bool force,
+	bool removeAttributes);
+
+
+static void
+remove_dir_contents(Path& path, bool force, bool removeAttributes)
+{
+	// open the dir
+	DIR* dir = opendir(path.GetPath());
+	if (dir < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to open dir \"%s\": %s\n",
+			path.GetPath(), strerror(errno));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// iterate through the entries
+	errno = 0;
+	while (dirent* entry = readdir(dir)) {
+		// skip "." and ".."
+		if (strcmp(entry->d_name, ".") == 0 || strcmp(entry->d_name, "..") == 0)
+			continue;
+
+		if (!path.PushLeaf(entry->d_name)) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error: Path name of entry too long: dir: \"%s\", "
+				"entry: \"%s\"\n", path.GetPath(), entry->d_name);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		remove_entry(path, true, force, removeAttributes);
+
+		path.PopLeaf();
+
+		errno = 0;
+	}
+
+	if (errno != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to read directory \"%s\": %s\n",
+			path.GetPath(), strerror(errno));
+	}
+
+	// close
+	closedir(dir);
+}
+
+
+static bool
+remove_entry(Path& path, bool recursive, bool force, bool removeAttributes)
+{
+	// stat the file
+	struct stat st;
+	if (lstat(path.GetPath(), &st) < 0) {
+		// errno == 0 shouldn't happen, but found on OpenSUSE Linux 10.3
+		if (force && (errno == ENOENT || errno == 0))
+			return true;
+
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to remove \"%s\": %s\n", path.GetPath(),
+			strerror(errno));
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	// remove the file's attributes
+	if (removeAttributes) {
+		Path attrDirPath;
+		if (__get_attribute_dir_path(&st, attrDirPath.Buffer())) {
+			attrDirPath.BufferChanged();
+			remove_entry(attrDirPath, true, true, false);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		if (!recursive) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error: \"%s\" is a directory.\n", path.GetPath());
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		// remove the contents
+		remove_dir_contents(path, force, removeAttributes);
+
+		// remove the directory
+		if (rmdir(path.GetPath()) < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to remove directory \"%s\": %s\n",
+				path.GetPath(), strerror(errno));
+			return false;
+		}
+	} else {
+		// remove the entry
+		if (unlink(path.GetPath()) < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to remove entry \"%s\": %s\n",
+				path.GetPath(), strerror(errno));
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+
+int
+main(int argc, const char* const* argv)
+{
+	bool recursive = false;
+	bool force = false;
+
+	// parse parameters
+	int argi = 1;
+	for (argi = 1; argi < argc; argi++) {
+		const char *arg = argv[argi];
+		if (arg[0] != '-')
+			break;
+
+		if (arg[1] == '\0') {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error: Invalid option \"-\"\n");
+			exit(1);
+		}
+
+		for (int i = 1; arg[i]; i++) {
+			switch (arg[i]) {
+				case 'f':
+					force = true;
+					break;
+				case 'r':
+					recursive = true;
+					break;
+				default:
+					fprintf(stderr, "Error: Unknown option \"-%c\"\n", arg[i]);
+					exit(1);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	
+	// check params
+	if (argi >= argc) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s [ -rf ] <file>...\n", argv[0]);
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	// remove loop
+	for (; argi < argc; argi++) {
+		Path path;
+		if (!path.Init(argv[argi])) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error: Invalid path: \"%s\".\n", argv[argi]);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		remove_entry(path, recursive, force, true);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}