diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/tar.c b/sys/src/cmd/tar.c
--- a/sys/src/cmd/tar.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/tar.c
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ enum {
 
 	LF_LONGNAME =	'L',		/* GNU extenstion */
 	LF_LONGLINK = 	'K',
+	LF_PAXX		=	'x',
+	LF_PAXG		=	'g',
 };
 
 #define islink(lf)	(isreallink(lf) || issymlink(lf))
@@ -1061,6 +1063,9 @@ openfname(Hdr *hp, char *fname, int dir,
 	case LF_FIFO:
 		fprint(2, "%s: can't make fifo %s\n", argv0, fname);
 		break;
+	case LF_PAXX:
+	case LF_PAXG:
+		break;
 	default:
 		if (!keepexisting || access(fname, AEXIST) < 0) {
 			int rw = (dir? OREAD: OWRITE);