diff --git a/docs/buildroot.html b/docs/buildroot.html
index 0862b1beb..b282a19a6 100644
--- a/docs/buildroot.html
+++ b/docs/buildroot.html
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ endif
     <a name="ex2line11" id="ex2line11">11</a>  FOO_TARGET_BINARY:=usr/bin/foo
     <a name="ex2line12" id="ex2line12">12</a>
     <a name="ex2line13" id="ex2line13">13</a>  $(DL_DIR)/$(FOO_SOURCE):
-    <a name="ex2line14" id="ex2line14">14</a>          $(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $(FOO_SITE)/$(FOO_SOURCE)
+    <a name="ex2line14" id="ex2line14">14</a>          $(call DOWNLOAD,$(FOO_SITE),$(FOO_SOURCE))
     <a name="ex2line15" id="ex2line15">15</a>
     <a name="ex2line16" id="ex2line16">16</a>  $(FOO_DIR)/.source: $(DL_DIR)/$(FOO_SOURCE)
     <a name="ex2line17" id="ex2line17">17</a>          $(ZCAT) $(DL_DIR)/$(FOO_SOURCE) | tar -C $(BUILD_DIR) $(TAR_OPTIONS) -
diff --git a/package/Makefile.autotools.in b/package/Makefile.autotools.in
index 6ed9c31fe..bd8bed4bb 100644
--- a/package/Makefile.autotools.in
+++ b/package/Makefile.autotools.in
@@ -119,6 +119,30 @@ MESSAGE = @echo "$(TERM_BOLD)>>> $($(PKG)_NAME) $($(PKG)_VERSION) $(1)$(TERM_RES
 TERM_BOLD := $(shell tput smso)
 TERM_RESET := $(shell tput rmso)
 
+################################################################################
+# DOWNLOAD -- Download helper. Will try to download source from:
+# 1) BR2_PRIMARY_SITE if enabled
+# 2) Download site
+# 3) BR2_BACKUP_SITE if enabled
+#
+# Argument 1 is the source location
+# Argument 2 is the source filename
+#
+# E.G. use like this:
+# $(call DOWNLOAD,$(FOO_SITE),$(FOO_SOURCE))
+################################################################################
+
+# support make source-check/external-deps
+ifneq ($(SPIDER),)
+DOWNLOAD:=$(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $(1)/$(2)
+else
+define DOWNLOAD
+	$(Q)test -e $(DL_DIR)/$(2) || \
+	for site in $(strip $(subst ",,$(BR2_PRIMARY_SITE))) $(1) $(strip $(subst ",,$(BR2_BACKUP_SITE))); \
+	do $(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $$site/$(2) && exit; done
+endef
+endif
+
 # Utility programs used to build packages
 TAR ?= tar
 #ACLOCAL_STAGING_DIR ?= $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/share/aclocal
@@ -136,17 +160,12 @@ TAR_STRIP_COMPONENTS := $(shell $(TAR) --help | grep strip-path > /dev/null ; if
 # Retrieve and unpack the archive
 $(BUILD_DIR)/%/.stamp_downloaded:
 # support make source-check/external-deps
-ifneq ($(SPIDER),)
-	$(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $($(PKG)_SITE)/$($(PKG)_SOURCE)
-	$(if $($(PKG)_PATCH),$(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $($(PKG)_SITE)/$($(PKG)_PATCH))
-else
+ifeq ($(SPIDER),)
 	$(call MESSAGE,"Downloading")
-ifneq ($(strip $(subst ",,$(BR2_PRIMARY_SITE))),)
-#"))
-	-$(Q)test -e $(DL_DIR)/$($(PKG)_SOURCE) || $(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $(BR2_PRIMARY_SITE)/$($(PKG)_SOURCE)
 endif
-	$(Q)test -e $(DL_DIR)/$($(PKG)_SOURCE) || $(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $($(PKG)_SITE)/$($(PKG)_SOURCE)
-	$(if $($(PKG)_PATCH),$(Q)test -e $(DL_DIR)/$($(PKG)_PATCH) || $(WGET) -P $(DL_DIR) $($(PKG)_SITE)/$($(PKG)_PATCH))
+	$(call DOWNLOAD,$($(PKG)_SITE),$($(PKG)_SOURCE))
+	$(if $($(PKG)_PATCH),$(call DOWNLOAD,$($(PKG)_SITE),$($(PKG)_PATCH)))
+ifeq ($(SPIDER),)
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(@D)
 	$(Q)touch $@
 endif
diff --git a/target/device/Config.in.mirrors b/target/device/Config.in.mirrors
index 455bee108..d561b8bce 100644
--- a/target/device/Config.in.mirrors
+++ b/target/device/Config.in.mirrors
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ config BR2_PRIMARY_SITE
 	  default if the file is not found.
 	  NOTE: This only works for packages using the Makefile.autotools.in
 
+config BR2_BACKUP_SITE
+	string "Backup download site"
+	default "http://buildroot.uclibc.org/downloads/sources/"
+	help
+	  Backup site to download from. If this option is set then buildroot
+	  will fall back to download package sources from here if the
+	  normal location fails.
+
 config BR2_SOURCEFORGE_MIRROR
 	string "Sourceforge mirror site"
 	default "easynews"