diff --git a/doc/make.texi b/doc/make.texi
index 12f70c6..777c5a6 100644
--- a/doc/make.texi
+++ b/doc/make.texi
@@ -6627,6 +6627,77 @@ Supports dynamically loadable objects for creating custom extensions.
 Expands to a list of directories that @code{make} searches for
 included makefiles (@pxref{Include, , Including Other Makefiles}).

+@vindex .PREREQUISITES @r{(list of prerequsisites not contributing to automatic variables)}
+@item .PREREQUISITES
+This variable may be set to a list of prerequisites that are added
+to the list of existing prerequisites. But in contrast to these existing
+prerequisites, the ones listed in @code{$(.PREREQUISITES)} do not
+contribute to any of the list-type automatic variables.
+Thus, they are not added to any of the automatic variable lists @code{$^},
+@code{$+}, @code{$?}, @code{$*}, @code{$|}, @code{$(^F)}, @code{$(+F)},
+@code{$(?F)}, @code{$(*F)}, @code{$(^D)}, @code{$(+D)}, @code{$(?D)} and
+@code{$(*D)}.
+
+The rationale behind this variable is to make it easier to extend dependency
+lists of existing Makefiles. The following example illustrates this:
+
+The code below may be considered as a snippet of a large and
+possibly rather complex Makefile:
+
+@example
+myappl: main.o file1.o file2.o
+       gcc -o $@ $^
+@end example
+
+At a first glance, it lists all the relevant prerequisites, but a
+second thought reveals that this is just not true: The target
+also depends on the compiler frontend, the linker backend
+and the Makefile itself.
+
+Thus, a more complete snippet should look more like this:
+
+@example
+myappl: main.o file1.o file2.o /usr/bin/gcc /usr/bin/ld Makefile
+       gcc -o $@ $(filter %.o,$^)
+@end example
+
+Please note the need for GNU Make's $(filter) function besides the
+additional prerequisites.
+
+But for big projects, say the Linux kernel or a toolchain build,
+it would be rather laborious to change and fix all the Makefiles
+accordingly, and it is more than questionable if such patches
+would be welcomed by every project. Fortunately, with @code{.PREREQUISITES}
+at hand, the upstream Makefiles do not need to be changed at all.
+Instead, it is sufficient to assign the additional dependencies to
+a target-specific instance of @code{.PREREQUISITES} in another Makefile
+that simply includes the upstream Makefile. To continue with our
+example (and assuming the related upstream Makefile was just called
+@code{Makefile}), we could most conveniently add a @code{GNUmakefile}
+with the following content:
+
+@example
+include Makefile
+myappl: .PREREQUISITES:=/usr/bin/gcc /usr/bin/ld Makefile
+@end example
+
+Calling @code{make} now would prefer @code{GNUmakefile} over
+@code{Makefile}, thus respecting the additional prerequisites
+without affecting the automatic variable @code{$^} in the related
+recipe.
+
+So far, we have only discussed the implications of @code{.PREREQUISITES}
+as a target specific variable. But it may certainly also be defined
+globally, causing all targets that do not define a target specific instance
+of @code{.PREREQUISITES} to depend on the prerequisites listed in that
+global instance of @code{.PREREQUISITES}. But as prerequisites are usually
+targets themselves, this would create circular dependencies for those
+targets. Thus, it would be required to also define an empty target specific
+instance of @code{.PREREQUISITES} for each member in the global
+@code{.PREREQUISITES} list to avoid that make complains about circular
+dependencies. To avoid this extra noise, make isself just discards any
+of these circular dependencies.
+
 @end table

 @node Conditionals, Functions, Using Variables, Top
diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
index dd47851..7c08c01 100644
--- a/src/commands.c
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ set_file_variables (struct file *file)
     bar_len = 0;
     for (d = file->deps; d != 0; d = d->next)
       {
-        if (!d->need_2nd_expansion)
+        if (!d->need_2nd_expansion && !d->ignore_automatic_vars)
           {
             if (d->ignore_mtime)
               bar_len += strlen (dep_name (d)) + 1;
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ set_file_variables (struct file *file)

     qmark_len = plus_len + 1;   /* Will be this or less.  */
     for (d = file->deps; d != 0; d = d->next)
-      if (! d->ignore_mtime && ! d->need_2nd_expansion)
+      if (! d->ignore_mtime && ! d->need_2nd_expansion && ! d->ignore_automatic_vars)
         {
           const char *c = dep_name (d);

@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ set_file_variables (struct file *file)

     for (d = file->deps; d != 0; d = d->next)
       {
-        if (d->need_2nd_expansion)
+        if (d->need_2nd_expansion || d->ignore_automatic_vars)
           continue;

         slot = hash_find_slot (&dep_hash, d);
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ set_file_variables (struct file *file)
       {
         const char *c;

-        if (d->need_2nd_expansion || hash_find_item (&dep_hash, d) != d)
+        if (d->need_2nd_expansion || d->ignore_automatic_vars || hash_find_item (&dep_hash, d) != d)
           continue;

         c = dep_name (d);
diff --git a/src/dep.h b/src/dep.h
index baa64df..bedf41a 100644
--- a/src/dep.h
+++ b/src/dep.h
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ struct nameseq
     unsigned short changed : 1;                 \
     unsigned short ignore_mtime : 1;            \
     unsigned short staticpattern : 1;           \
-    unsigned short need_2nd_expansion : 1
+    unsigned short need_2nd_expansion : 1;      \
+    unsigned short ignore_automatic_vars : 1

 struct dep
   {
diff --git a/src/file.c b/src/file.c
index c20fcf8..3811efb 100644
--- a/src/file.c
+++ b/src/file.c
@@ -653,6 +653,89 @@ reset_updating (const void *item)
   f->updating = 0;
 }

+/* Add dependencies from  .PREREQUISITES. */
+
+static void
+add_prerequisite_values (struct file *f, const struct variable *v)
+{
+  struct dep *prereqs_only = split_prereqs (variable_expand(v->value));
+  if (prereqs_only)
+    {
+      struct dep *d = prereqs_only;
+      int circular = 0;
+      while (d)
+        {
+          struct file *df = lookup_file (d->name);
+          if (df)
+            {
+              if (strcmp (f->name, d->name))
+                {
+                  d->name = NULL;
+                  d->file = df;
+                  d->ignore_automatic_vars = 1;
+                }
+              else /* Skip circular dependencies. */
+                {
+                  circular = 1;
+                  break;
+                }
+            }
+          else
+            {
+              /* Cause complain() to generate an appropriate error message. */
+              d->file = enter_file (d->name);
+              d->file->deps = NULL;
+            }
+          d = d->next;
+        }
+      if (circular)
+        free_dep_chain (prereqs_only);
+      else
+        {
+          /* Append dependencies found in target specific .PREREQUISITES to
+             existing dependencies.
+          */
+          d = prereqs_only;
+          if (f->deps)
+            {
+              d = f->deps;
+              while (d->next)
+                d = d->next;
+              d->next = prereqs_only;
+            }
+          else
+            f->deps = prereqs_only;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+prerequisite_values (const void *item, void *arg)
+{
+  const struct variable *v = item;
+  struct file *f = arg;
+  if (!strcmp (v->name, ".PREREQUISITES"))
+    add_prerequisite_values(f, v);
+}
+
+static void
+prerequisite_targets (const void *item)
+{
+  const struct file *f = item;
+  if (f->variables != 0)
+    // FIXME: Casting away constness looks quite fishy: Is this ok?
+    hash_map_arg (&f->variables->set->table, prerequisite_values, (void *) item);
+  else
+    {
+      if (f->is_target)
+        {
+          struct variable *gv = lookup_variable(".PREREQUISITES", 14);
+          if(gv)
+            add_prerequisite_values((void *) item, gv);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /* For each dependency of each file, make the 'struct dep' point
    at the appropriate 'struct file' (which may have to be created).

@@ -779,6 +862,8 @@ snap_deps (void)
   if (f != 0 && f->is_target)
     not_parallel = 1;

+  /* Handle .PREREQUISITES variable. */
+  hash_map (&files, prerequisite_targets);
 #ifndef NO_MINUS_C_MINUS_O
   /* If .POSIX was defined, remove OUTPUT_OPTION to comply.  */
   /* This needs more work: what if the user sets this in the makefile?
diff --git a/tests/scripts/variables/PREREQUISITES b/tests/scripts/variables/PREREQUISITES
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8c4c4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/scripts/variables/PREREQUISITES
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#                                                                    -*-perl-*-
+
+$description = "Test the .PREREQUISITES special variable.";
+$details = "";
+
+# Basic test target specific .PREREQUISITES:
+run_make_test('
+DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES = hi ho hey
+OTHER_DEPENDENCIES := foo bar baz
+target: .PREREQUISITES := ${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES}
+target: ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+.PHONY: target ${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES} ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}
+${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES} ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}:
+	touch $@
+',
+'',
+'touch foo
+touch bar
+touch baz
+touch hi
+touch ho
+touch hey
+: hi ho hey foo bar baz');
+
+# Test target specific .PREREQUISITES and pattern rules:
+unlink(qw(target.dst));
+run_make_test('
+all: target.dst
+DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES = hi ho hey
+target.dst: .PREREQUISITES := ${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES}
+%.dst: %.src
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+.PHONY: ${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES} target.src
+${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES} target.src:
+	touch $@
+',
+'',
+'touch target.src
+touch hi
+touch ho
+touch hey
+: hi ho hey target.src');
+
+# Test that global .PREREQUISITES are built first:
+run_make_test('
+.PREREQUISITES = hi ho hey
+OTHER_DEPENDENCIES := foo bar baz
+target: ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+.PHONY: target ${.PREREQUISITES} ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}
+${.PREREQUISITES} ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}:
+	touch $@
+',
+'',
+'touch hi
+touch ho
+touch hey
+touch foo
+touch bar
+touch baz
+: hi ho hey foo bar baz');
+
+# Test that target specific .PREREQUISITES override global .PREREQUISITES:
+run_make_test('
+.PREREQUISITES = tick tack
+DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES = hi ho hey
+OTHER_DEPENDENCIES := foo bar baz
+target: .PREREQUISITES := ${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES}
+target: ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES}
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+.PHONY: target ${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES} ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES} ${.PREREQUISITES}
+${DEPENDENCY_ONLY_PREREQUISITES} ${OTHER_DEPENDENCIES} ${.PREREQUISITES}:
+	touch $@
+',
+'',
+'touch tick
+touch tack
+touch foo
+touch bar
+touch baz
+touch hi
+touch ho
+touch hey
+: hi ho hey foo bar baz');
+
+# Test error reporting of global .PREREQUISITES:
+unlink(qw(tick tack));
+run_make_test('
+.PREREQUISITES = tick tack
+.PHONY: all
+all:
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+',
+'',
+"make: *** No rule to make target 'tick', needed by 'all'.  Stop.",
+512);
+
+# Test error reporting of global .PREREQUISITES and keep-going:
+unlink(qw(tick tack));
+run_make_test('
+.PREREQUISITES = tick tack
+.PHONY: all
+all:
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+',
+'-k',
+"make: *** No rule to make target 'tick', needed by 'all'.
+make: *** No rule to make target 'tack', needed by 'all'.
+make: Target 'all' not remade because of errors.",
+512);
+
+# Test error reporting of target specific .PREREQUISITES and keep-going:
+unlink(qw(tick tack));
+run_make_test('
+all: .PREREQUISITES = tick tack
+.PHONY: all
+all:
+	: ${.PREREQUISITES} $^
+',
+'-k',
+"make: *** No rule to make target 'tick', needed by 'all'.
+make: *** No rule to make target 'tack', needed by 'all'.
+make: Target 'all' not remade because of errors.",
+512);
+
+# Cleanup:
+unlink(qw(hi ho hey foo bar baz tick tack target.src));
+
+# This tells the test driver that the perl test script executed properly.
+1;