diff --git a/docs/markdown/External-Project-module.md b/docs/markdown/External-Project-module.md
index 615c6c117d0c..39449fe21102 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/External-Project-module.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/External-Project-module.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 *This is an experimental module, API could change.*
 
+*Added 0.56.0*
+
 This module allows building code that uses build systems other than
 Meson. This module is intended to be used to build Autotools
 subprojects as fallback if the dependency couldn't be found on the
@@ -47,7 +49,8 @@ Known limitations:
   from `-uninstalled.pc` files. This is arguably a bug that could be fixed in
   future version of pkg-config/pkgconf.
 
-*Added 0.56.0*
+*Since 1.7.0* [Meson devenv][Commands.md#devenv] setup `PATH` and
+`LD_LIBRARY_PATH` to be able to run programs.
 
 ## Functions
 
@@ -78,7 +81,8 @@ Keyword arguments:
   added in case some tags are not found in `configure_options`:
   `'--prefix=@PREFIX@'`, `'--libdir=@PREFIX@/@LIBDIR@'`, and
   `'--includedir=@PREFIX@/@INCLUDEDIR@'`. It was previously considered a fatal
-  error to not specify them.
+  error to not specify them. *Since 1.7.0* `@BINDIR@` and `'--bindir=@PREFIX@/@BINDIR@'`
+  default argument have been added.
 - `cross_configure_options`: Extra options appended to `configure_options` only
   when cross compiling. special tag `@HOST@` will be replaced by
   `'{}-{}-{}'.format(host_machine.cpu_family(), build_machine.system(), host_machine.system()`.
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/external_project_devenv.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/external_project_devenv.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1927bd32f4e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/external_project_devenv.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+## Devenv support in external project module
+
+The [external project module](External-Project-module.md) now setups `PATH` and
+`LD_LIBRARY_PATH` to be able to run programs.
+
+`@BINDIR@` is now substitued in arguments and `'--bindir=@PREFIX@/@BINDIR@'`
+default argument have been added.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py b/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py
index fb82a384d919..9e283e026b36 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ def __init__(self,
         _l = self.env.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('libdir'))
         assert isinstance(_l, str), 'for mypy'
         self.libdir = Path(_l)
+        _l = self.env.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('bindir'))
+        assert isinstance(_l, str), 'for mypy'
+        self.bindir = Path(_l)
         _i = self.env.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('includedir'))
         assert isinstance(_i, str), 'for mypy'
         self.includedir = Path(_i)
@@ -118,6 +121,7 @@ def _configure(self, state: 'ModuleState') -> None:
 
         d = [('PREFIX', '--prefix=@PREFIX@', self.prefix.as_posix()),
              ('LIBDIR', '--libdir=@PREFIX@/@LIBDIR@', self.libdir.as_posix()),
+             ('BINDIR', '--bindir=@PREFIX@/@BINDIR@', self.bindir.as_posix()),
              ('INCLUDEDIR', None, self.includedir.as_posix()),
              ]
         self._validate_configure_options(d, state)
@@ -278,6 +282,7 @@ class ExternalProjectModule(ExtensionModule):
 
     def __init__(self, interpreter: 'Interpreter'):
         super().__init__(interpreter)
+        self.devenv: T.Optional[EnvironmentVariables] = None
         self.methods.update({'add_project': self.add_project,
                              })
 
@@ -299,8 +304,19 @@ def add_project(self, state: 'ModuleState', args: T.Tuple[str], kwargs: 'AddProj
                                   kwargs['env'],
                                   kwargs['verbose'],
                                   kwargs['depends'])
+        abs_libdir = Path(project.install_dir, project.rel_prefix, project.libdir).as_posix()
+        abs_bindir = Path(project.install_dir, project.rel_prefix, project.bindir).as_posix()
+        env = state.environment.get_env_for_paths({abs_libdir}, {abs_bindir})
+        if self.devenv is None:
+            self.devenv = env
+        else:
+            self.devenv.merge(env)
         return ModuleReturnValue(project, project.targets)
 
+    def postconf_hook(self, b: build.Build) -> None:
+        if self.devenv is not None:
+            b.devenv.append(self.devenv)
+
 
 def initialize(interp: 'Interpreter') -> ExternalProjectModule:
     return ExternalProjectModule(interp)