diff --git a/runtime/gc_glue_java/configure_includes/configure_aix_ppc.mk b/runtime/gc_glue_java/configure_includes/configure_aix_ppc.mk
index cd0c45bbb93..ee5408532c3 100644
--- a/runtime/gc_glue_java/configure_includes/configure_aix_ppc.mk
+++ b/runtime/gc_glue_java/configure_includes/configure_aix_ppc.mk
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ ifeq (default,$(origin CXX))
 	CXX = $(CC)
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(findstring ibm-clang,$(notdir $(CC))))
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_TOOLCHAIN=openxl'
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CFLAGS=-fstack-protector'
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS=-fstack-protector'
+else
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_TOOLCHAIN=xlc'
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CFLAGS=-qstackprotect'
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS=-qstackprotect'
+endif
+
 CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'AS=$(AS)'
 CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'CC=$(CC)'
 CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'CXX=$(CXX)'
@@ -75,12 +85,4 @@ CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'AR=$(AR)'
 
 CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_HOST_OS=aix'
 CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_HOST_ARCH=ppc'
-CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_TARGET_DATASIZE=$(TEMP_TARGET_DATASIZE)'
-CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_TOOLCHAIN=xlc'
-ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CFLAGS=-fstack-protector'
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS=-fstack-protector'
-else
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CFLAGS=-qstackprotect'
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS=-qstackprotect'
-endif
+CONFIGURE_ARGS += 'OMR_TARGET_DATASIZE=$(TEMP_TARGET_DATASIZE)'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runtime/makelib/targets.mk.aix.inc.ftl b/runtime/makelib/targets.mk.aix.inc.ftl
index f38a3e942c2..93105cf2e8f 100644
--- a/runtime/makelib/targets.mk.aix.inc.ftl
+++ b/runtime/makelib/targets.mk.aix.inc.ftl
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(j9vm_env_data64),1)
   UMA_ASPP_DEBUG += -g
   UMA_LIB_LINKER_FLAGS += -X64
-  ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+  ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
     UMA_CC_MODE += -m64
   else
     UMA_CC_MODE += -q64
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 ifeq (,$(findstring xlclang,$(notdir $(CC))))
-  ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+  ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
     # for openxl do nothing
   else
     # xlc options
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ else
   # xlclang options
   CFLAGS += -qxlcompatmacros
 endif
-ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
   #openxl options
   CFLAGS += -std=c89 -qarch=ppc -fno-strict-aliasing -fstack-protector
 else
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 ifeq (,$(findstring xlclang++,$(notdir $(CXX))))
-  ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+  ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
     # openxl options
     CXXFLAGS += -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions
   else
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ else
   # xlclang++ options
   CXXFLAGS += -qxlcompatmacros -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions
 endif
-ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
   # openxl options
   CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11 -qarch=ppc -fno-strict-aliasing -fstack-protector
 else
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ endif
 UMA_SYS_LINK_PATH := -L/usr/lib/threads
 
 ifeq ($(j9vm_env_data64),1)
-  ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+  ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
     UMA_DLL_LINK_FLAGS += -m64
   else
     UMA_DLL_LINK_FLAGS += -q64
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ $(patsubst %.s,%.o,$(filter %.s,$(UMA_FILES_TO_PREPROCESS))) : %$(UMA_DOT_O) : %
 
 ifdef UMA_TREAT_WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS
   ifndef UMA_SUPPRESS_WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS
-    ifeq ($(OMR_ENV_OPENXL),1)
+    ifeq (openxl,$(OMR_TOOLCHAIN))
       CFLAGS += -Werror
       CXXFLAGS += -Werror
     else