diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 2fce9d790..3aa3ad8ce 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -334,6 +334,16 @@ config BR2_HAVE_DEVFILES
 	  Install headers and static libraries in the
 	  target filesystem
 
+config BR2_PACKAGE_OVERRIDE_FILE
+	string "location of a package override file"
+	default "$(TOPDIR)/local.mk"
+	help
+	  A package override file is a short makefile that contains
+	  variable definitions of the form <pkg>_OVERRIDE_SRCDIR,
+	  which allows to tell Buildroot to use an existing directory
+	  as the source directory for a particular package. See the
+	  Buildroot documentation for more details on this feature.
+
 endmenu
 
 source "toolchain/Config.in"
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a20d3e2a8..8525b7ddd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -309,6 +309,13 @@ else ifeq ($(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_CTNG),y)
 include toolchain/toolchain-crosstool-ng.mk
 endif
 
+# Include the package override file if one has been provided in the
+# configuration.
+PACKAGE_OVERRIDE_FILE=$(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_OVERRIDE_FILE))
+ifneq ($(PACKAGE_OVERRIDE_FILE),)
+-include $(PACKAGE_OVERRIDE_FILE)
+endif
+
 include package/*/*.mk
 
 include boot/common.mk