diff --git a/package/flex/flex-prog-ar.patch b/package/flex/flex-prog-ar.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0626ff95f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/flex/flex-prog-ar.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+diff -rup flex-2.5.33.orig/Makefile.in flex-2.5.33/Makefile.in
+--- flex-2.5.33.orig/Makefile.in	2007-01-18 17:29:25.000000000 +0100
++++ flex-2.5.33/Makefile.in	2007-01-18 18:28:22.000000000 +0100
+@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ am__installdirs = "$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)"
+ 	"$(DESTDIR)$(includedir)"
+ libLIBRARIES_INSTALL = $(INSTALL_DATA)
+ LIBRARIES = $(lib_LIBRARIES)
+-AR = ar
+ ARFLAGS = cru
+ libfl_a_AR = $(AR) $(ARFLAGS)
+ libfl_a_LIBADD =
diff --git a/package/flex/flex.mk b/package/flex/flex.mk
index 2373d04336..17f651b802 100644
--- a/package/flex/flex.mk
+++ b/package/flex/flex.mk
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
-FLEX_VERSION = 2.5.39
+FLEX_VERSION = 2.5.37
 FLEX_SITE = http://download.sourceforge.net/project/flex
 FLEX_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 FLEX_LICENSE = FLEX