diff --git a/pkgs/applications/window-managers/owl/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/window-managers/owl/default.nix
index 2bef1b024b3e..812e65830b33 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/window-managers/owl/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/window-managers/owl/default.nix
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
 , darwin
 }:
 
-assert wayland.withLibraries;
-
 let
   stdenv = clangStdenv;
 in
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/default.nix
index 5a78a5c993ef..8398dce70790 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/default.nix
@@ -5,13 +5,10 @@
 , pkg-config
 , ninja
 , wayland-scanner
-, expat
-, libxml2
-, withLibraries ? stdenv.isLinux || stdenv.isDarwin
 , withTests ? stdenv.isLinux
 , libffi
 , epoll-shim
-, withDocumentation ? withLibraries && stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform
+, withDocumentation ? stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform
 , graphviz-nox
 , doxygen
 , libxslt
@@ -23,15 +20,6 @@
 , testers
 }:
 
-# Documentation is only built when building libraries.
-assert withDocumentation -> withLibraries;
-
-# Tests are only built when building libraries.
-assert withTests -> withLibraries;
-
-let
-  isCross = stdenv.buildPlatform != stdenv.hostPlatform;
-in
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   pname = "wayland";
   version = "1.23.0";
@@ -53,13 +41,13 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     sed -i '/os-wrappers-test/d' tests/meson.build
   '';
 
-  outputs = [ "out" "bin" "dev" ] ++ lib.optionals withDocumentation [ "doc" "man" ];
+  outputs = [ "out" "dev" ] ++ lib.optionals withDocumentation [ "doc" "man" ];
   separateDebugInfo = true;
 
   mesonFlags = [
-    "-Ddocumentation=${lib.boolToString withDocumentation}"
-    "-Dlibraries=${lib.boolToString withLibraries}"
-    "-Dtests=${lib.boolToString withTests}"
+    (lib.mesonBool "documentation" withDocumentation)
+    (lib.mesonBool "tests" withTests)
+    (lib.mesonBool "scanner" false) # wayland-scanner is a separate derivation
   ];
 
   depsBuildBuild = [
@@ -70,7 +58,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     meson
     pkg-config
     ninja
-  ] ++ lib.optionals isCross [
     wayland-scanner
   ] ++ lib.optionals withDocumentation [
     (graphviz-nox.override { pango = null; }) # To avoid an infinite recursion
@@ -83,11 +70,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   ];
 
   buildInputs = [
-    expat
-    libxml2
-  ] ++ lib.optionals withLibraries [
     libffi
-  ] ++ lib.optionals (withLibraries && !stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux) [
+  ] ++ lib.optionals (!stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux) [
     epoll-shim
   ] ++ lib.optionals withDocumentation [
     docbook_xsl
@@ -95,20 +79,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     docbook_xml_dtd_42
   ];
 
-  postFixup = ''
-    # The pkg-config file is required for cross-compilation:
-    mkdir -p $bin/lib/pkgconfig/
-    cat <<EOF > $bin/lib/pkgconfig/wayland-scanner.pc
-    wayland_scanner=$bin/bin/wayland-scanner
-
-    Name: Wayland Scanner
-    Description: Wayland scanner
-    Version: ${finalAttrs.version}
-    EOF
-  '';
-
   passthru = {
-    inherit withLibraries;
     tests.pkg-config = testers.hasPkgConfigModules {
       package = finalAttrs.finalPackage;
     };
@@ -130,8 +101,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     platforms = platforms.unix;
     maintainers = with maintainers; [ primeos codyopel qyliss ];
     pkgConfigModules = [
-      "wayland-scanner"
-    ] ++ lib.optionals withLibraries [
       "wayland-client"
       "wayland-cursor"
       "wayland-egl"
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/protocols.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/protocols.nix
index ca1e84b1c609..a341fed9e6be 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/protocols.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/protocols.nix
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "wayland-protocols";
   version = "1.36";
 
+  doCheck = stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform &&
   # https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/issues/48
-  doCheck = stdenv.hostPlatform == stdenv.buildPlatform && stdenv.hostPlatform.linker == "bfd" && wayland.withLibraries;
+  stdenv.hostPlatform.linker == "bfd" && lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform wayland;
 
   src = fetchurl {
     url = "https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/${pname}/-/releases/${version}/downloads/${pname}-${version}.tar.xz";
@@ -22,7 +23,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   depsBuildBuild = [ pkg-config ];
   nativeBuildInputs = [ meson ninja wayland-scanner ];
-  nativeCheckInputs = [ python3 wayland ];
+  nativeCheckInputs = [ python3 ];
+  checkInputs = [ wayland ];
 
   mesonFlags = [ "-Dtests=${lib.boolToString doCheck}" ];
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/scanner.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/scanner.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..946b73468c57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/wayland/scanner.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  stdenv,
+  wayland,
+  meson,
+  pkg-config,
+  ninja,
+  wayland-scanner,
+  expat,
+  libxml2,
+}:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  pname = "wayland-scanner";
+  inherit (wayland) version src;
+
+  outputs = [
+    "out"
+    "bin"
+    "dev"
+  ];
+  separateDebugInfo = true;
+
+  mesonFlags = [
+    (lib.mesonBool "documentation" false)
+    (lib.mesonBool "libraries" false)
+    (lib.mesonBool "tests" false)
+  ];
+
+  depsBuildBuild = [ pkg-config ];
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    meson
+    pkg-config
+    ninja
+  ] ++ lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) wayland-scanner;
+
+  buildInputs = [
+    expat
+    libxml2
+  ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    inherit (wayland.meta) homepage license maintainers;
+    description = "C code generator for Wayland protocol XML files";
+    platforms = platforms.unix;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pywayland/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pywayland/default.nix
index f07d855fd615..4dc2fb89330d 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/pywayland/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/pywayland/default.nix
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   };
 
   depsBuildBuild = [ pkg-config ];
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ pkg-config wayland-scanner ];
+  nativeBuildInputs = [ wayland-scanner ];
   propagatedNativeBuildInputs = [ cffi ];
   buildInputs = [ wayland ];
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ cffi ];
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/graphics/mesa-demos/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/graphics/mesa-demos/default.nix
index 3bbc20bc4cad..dca8bf0950c7 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/graphics/mesa-demos/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/graphics/mesa-demos/default.nix
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "sha256-MEaj0mp7BRr3690lel8jv+sWDK1u2VIynN/x6fHtSWs=";
   };
 
-  strictDeps = true;
-
   depsBuildBuild = [
     pkg-config
   ];
@@ -57,9 +55,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   ];
 
   mesonFlags = [
-    "-Dwith-system-data-files=true"
-    "-Dgles1=disabled"
-    "-Dosmesa=disabled"
+    "-Degl=${if stdenv.isDarwin then "disabled" else "auto"}"
+    (lib.mesonEnable "libdrm" (stdenv.isLinux))
+    (lib.mesonEnable "osmesa" (mesa ? osmesa))
+    (lib.mesonEnable "wayland" (lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform wayland))
   ];
 
   meta = with lib; {
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index dbad110c06ac..4b8c4a636183 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -24271,7 +24271,7 @@ with pkgs;
   wavpack = callPackage ../development/libraries/wavpack { };
 
   wayland = darwin.apple_sdk_11_0.callPackage ../development/libraries/wayland { };
-  wayland-scanner = wayland.bin;
+  wayland-scanner = callPackage ../development/libraries/wayland/scanner.nix { };
 
   wayland-protocols = callPackage ../development/libraries/wayland/protocols.nix { };