diff --git a/packages/f/flex/xmake.lua b/packages/f/flex/xmake.lua
index e8c302ec03c..236ad4f9655 100644
--- a/packages/f/flex/xmake.lua
+++ b/packages/f/flex/xmake.lua
@@ -3,22 +3,31 @@ package("flex")
     set_homepage("https://github.com/westes/flex/")
     set_license("BSD-2-Clause")
 
-    if not is_plat("windows") then
-        add_urls("https://github.com/westes/flex/releases/download/v$(version)/flex-$(version).tar.gz")
-    end
-
     add_versions("2.6.4", "e87aae032bf07c26f85ac0ed3250998c37621d95f8bd748b31f15b33c45ee995")
 
-    if is_plat("windows") then
-        add_deps("winflexbison", {private = true})
-    elseif is_plat("linux") then
-        add_deps("m4")
+    if on_source then
+        on_source(function (package)
+            if not package:is_plat("windows") then
+                package:add("urls", "https://github.com/westes/flex/releases/download/v$(version)/flex-$(version).tar.gz")
+            end
+        end)
+    elseif not is_plat("windows") then
+        add_urls("https://github.com/westes/flex/releases/download/v$(version)/flex-$(version).tar.gz")
     end
 
     on_load("macosx", "linux", "bsd", "windows", function (package)
+        if package:is_plat("windows") then
+            package:add("deps", "winflexbison", {private = true})
+        elseif package:is_plat("linux") then
+            package:add("deps", "m4")
+        end
+
         -- we always set it, because flex may be modified as library
         -- by add_deps("flex", {kind = "library"})
         package:addenv("PATH", "bin")
+        if package:is_library() then
+            package:set("kind", "library", {headeronly = true})
+        end
     end)
 
     on_install("windows", function (package)
@@ -28,16 +37,13 @@ package("flex")
 
     on_install("macosx", "linux", "bsd", "android", "iphoneos", "cross", function (package)
         import("package.tools.autoconf").install(package)
-        if not package:is_binary() then
-            package:add("links", "")
-        end
     end)
 
     on_test(function (package)
         if not package:is_cross() then
             os.vrun("flex -h")
         end
-        if not package:is_binary() then
+        if package:is_library() then
             assert(package:has_cxxincludes("FlexLexer.h"))
         end
     end)
diff --git a/packages/w/winflexbison/xmake.lua b/packages/w/winflexbison/xmake.lua
index 408bf4fa71f..198bcfc44c1 100644
--- a/packages/w/winflexbison/xmake.lua
+++ b/packages/w/winflexbison/xmake.lua
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ package("winflexbison")
         -- we always set it, because flex may be modified as library
         -- by add_deps("winflexbison", {kind = "library"})
         package:addenv("PATH", "bin")
+        if package:config("flex") and package:is_library() then
+            package:set("kind", "library", {headeronly = true})
+        end
     end)
 
     on_install("windows", function (package)
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ package("winflexbison")
         end
         if package:config("flex") then
             os.vrun("flex.exe -h")
-            if not package:is_binary() then
+            if package:is_library() then
                 assert(package:has_cxxincludes("FlexLexer.h"))
             end
         end