diff --git a/xmlsec_extra.py b/xmlsec_extra.py
index fe9c899d..9bf6c86a 100644
--- a/xmlsec_extra.py
+++ b/xmlsec_extra.py
@@ -27,19 +27,16 @@ def get_prebuilt_libs(download_dir, static_include_dirs, static_library_dirs):
 
 
 def download_and_extract_windows_binaries(destdir):
+    url = "https://github.com/bgaifullin/libxml2-win-binaries/releases/download/v2018.08/"
     if sys.version_info < (3, 5):
         if sys.maxsize > 2147483647:
-            url = "https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/7q4nvmkdnu05dul6/artifacts/"
             suffix = "vs2008.win64"
         else:
-            url = "https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/tdpx6rprr5431ec9/artifacts/"
             suffix = "vs2008.win32"
     else:
         if sys.maxsize > 2147483647:
-            url = "https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/hij3a6776pdv2007/artifacts/"
             suffix = "win64"
         else:
-            url = "https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/7k878q7rvogcdyd9/artifacts/"
             suffix = "win32"
 
     libs = {
diff --git a/xmlsec_setupinfo.py b/xmlsec_setupinfo.py
index 829b4665..69bd2a3a 100644
--- a/xmlsec_setupinfo.py
+++ b/xmlsec_setupinfo.py
@@ -168,9 +168,10 @@ def load_xmlsec1_config():
         if config is None or not config.get('libraries'):
             fatal_xmlsec1_error()
 
-        config.setdefault('libraries', [])
-        config.setdefault('include_dirs', [])
-        config.setdefault('library_dirs', [])
+        # make sure that all options are list
+        for x in ('libraries', 'include_dirs', 'library_dirs'):
+            config[x] = list(config.get(x) or [])
+
         # fix macros, ensure that macros is list
         macros = list(config.get('define_macros', []))
         for i, v in enumerate(macros):