3 files changed, 13 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/libbuild2/context.hxx b/libbuild2/context.hxx
index 7ac4af4..c4d85c9 100644
--- a/libbuild2/context.hxx
+++ b/libbuild2/context.hxx
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ namespace build2
     // test) with a more natural-looking result. Note that currently we only
     // recognize the built-in clean variable (for other variables we will need
     // some kind of registration in an operation-to-variable map, probably in
-    // root scope).
+    // root scope). See also install::file_rule::filter().
     //
     // To query this value in rule implementations use the include() helpers
     // from <libbuild2/prerequisites.hxx>.
diff --git a/libbuild2/install/rule.cxx b/libbuild2/install/rule.cxx
index b4b4a01..2d81067 100644
--- a/libbuild2/install/rule.cxx
+++ b/libbuild2/install/rule.cxx
@@ -289,7 +289,14 @@ namespace build2
             action, const target& t, const prerequisite& p) const
     {
       if (p.is_a<exe> ())
-        return nullptr;
+      {
+        // Feels like one day this should be unified with include (see
+        // context::var_include).
+        //
+        if (p.vars.empty () ||
+            cast_empty<path> (p.vars["install"]).string () != "true")
+          return nullptr;
+      }
 
       const target& pt (search (t, p));
       return is == nullptr || pt.in (*is) ? &pt : nullptr;
diff --git a/libbuild2/install/rule.hxx b/libbuild2/install/rule.hxx
index 61c0ae9..53d97d2 100644
--- a/libbuild2/install/rule.hxx
+++ b/libbuild2/install/rule.hxx
@@ -115,7 +115,10 @@ namespace build2
       // ignores exe{} prerequisites assuming an exe{} listed for a file
       // target is there to execute (e.g., to generate that target) and
       // normally should not be installed (an exe{} would typically be
-      // installed via the dir{./} alias).
+      // installed via the dir{./} alias). But this can be overridden with a
+      // prerequisite-specific install=true, for example:
+      //
+      // exe{foo}: exe{bar}: install = true # foo runs bar
       //
       // The prerequisite is passed as an iterator allowing the filter to
       // "see" inside groups.