diff --git a/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain/conf/distro/include/external-arm-toolchain-versions.inc b/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain/conf/distro/include/external-arm-toolchain-versions.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..244de26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain/conf/distro/include/external-arm-toolchain-versions.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+def eat_run(d, cmd, *args):
+    import bb.process
+    import subprocess
+
+    topdir = d.getVar('TOPDIR', True)
+    toolchain_path = d.getVar('EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN', True)
+    if not toolchain_path:
+        return 'UNKNOWN', 'UNKNOWN'
+
+    target_prefix = d.getVar('TARGET_PREFIX', True)
+    path = os.path.join(toolchain_path, 'bin', target_prefix + cmd)
+    args = [path] + list(args)
+
+    return bb.process.run(args, cwd=topdir, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+
+def eat_get_version(d):
+    try:
+        stdout, stderr = eat_run(d, 'gcc', '-v')
+    except bb.process.CmdError as exc:
+        bb.error('Failed to obtain external Arm toolchain version: %s' % exc)
+        return 'UNKNOWN'
+    else:
+        last_line = stderr.splitlines()[-1]
+        return last_line
+
+# Extract the YYYY.MM version
+def eat_get_main_version(d):
+    version = eat_get_version(d)
+    bb.debug(2, 'Trying for parse version info from: %s' % version)
+    if version != 'UNKNOWN':
+        if version.split()[4] == '(GNU':
+            # gcc version 9.2.1 20191025 (GNU Toolchain for the A-profile Architecture 9.2-2019.12 (arm-9.10))
+            # gcc version 8.2.1 20180802 (GNU Toolchain for the A-profile Architecture 8.2-2018.11 (arm-rel-8.26))
+            return version.split()[10].split('-')[1]
+        elif version.split()[3] == '(GNU':
+            # gcc version 8.3.0 (GNU Toolchain for the A-profile Architecture 8.3-2019.03 (arm-rel-8.36))
+            return version.split()[9].split('-')[1]
+        else:
+            bb.error('Failed to parse external Arm toolchain version from: %s' % version)
+    else:
+        return version
+
+# Extract the x.y.z version from 'gcc version 4.9.1'
+def eat_get_gcc_version(d):
+    version = eat_get_version(d)
+    if version != 'UNKNOWN':
+        return version.split()[2]
+    else:
+        return version
+
+def eat_get_libc_version(d):
+    import os,bb
+    import subprocess
+
+    syspath = bb.data.expand('${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN}/${EAT_TARGET_SYS}', d)
+    if not syspath:
+        return 'UNKNOWN'
+
+    topdir = d.getVar('TOPDIR', True)
+    lddpath = syspath + '/libc/usr/bin/ldd'
+
+    if os.path.exists(lddpath):
+        cmd = '/bin/sh ' + lddpath + ' --version'
+        try:
+            stdout, stderr = bb.process.run(cmd, cwd=topdir, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        except bb.process.CmdError as exc:
+            bb.error('Failed to obtain external Arm libc version: %s' % exc)
+            return 'UNKNOWN'
+        else:
+            first_line = stdout.splitlines()[0]
+            return first_line.split()[2]
+
+    return 'UNKNOWN'
+
+def eat_get_kernel_version(d):
+    import os,bb
+    syspath = bb.data.expand('${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN}/${EAT_TARGET_SYS}', d)
+    if not syspath:
+        return 'UNKNOWN'
+
+    vf = syspath + '/libc/usr/include/linux/version.h'
+
+    try:
+        f = open(vf, 'r')
+    except (OSError, IOError):
+        return 'UNKNOWN'
+
+    l = f.readlines();
+    f.close();
+    for s in l:
+        if s.find('LINUX_VERSION_CODE') > 0:
+            ver = int(s.split()[2])
+            maj = ver / 65536
+            ver = ver % 65536
+            min = ver / 256
+            ver = ver % 256
+            return str(maj)+'.'+str(min)+'.'+str(ver)
+    return 'UNKNOWN'
+
+def eat_get_gdb_version(d):
+    try:
+        stdout, stderr = eat_run(d, 'gdb', '-v')
+    except bb.process.CmdError:
+        return 'UNKNOWN'
+    else:
+        first_line = stdout.splitlines()[0]
+        return first_line.split()[-1]
+
+def eat_get_bfd_version(d):
+    try:
+        stdout, stderr = eat_run(d, 'as', '--version')
+    except bb.process.CmdError:
+        return 'UNKNOWN'
+    else:
+        first_line = stdout.splitlines()[0]
+        return first_line.split()[-1]
+
+python external_arm_toolchain_version_handler () {
+    if not isinstance(e, bb.event.ConfigParsed):
+        return
+    d = e.data
+    ld = d.createCopy()
+    ld.finalize()
+
+    d.setVar('EAT_VER_MAIN', eat_get_main_version(ld))
+    d.setVar('EAT_VER_GCC', eat_get_gcc_version(ld))
+    d.setVar('EAT_VER_LIBC', eat_get_libc_version(ld))
+    d.setVar('EAT_VER_KERNEL', eat_get_kernel_version(ld))
+    d.setVar('EAT_VER_GDB', eat_get_gdb_version(ld))
+    d.setVar('EAT_VER_BFD', eat_get_bfd_version(ld))
+}
+addhandler external_arm_toolchain_version_handler
diff --git a/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain/conf/distro/include/tcmode-external-arm.inc b/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain/conf/distro/include/tcmode-external-arm.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..178fb71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain/conf/distro/include/tcmode-external-arm.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+#
+# Configuration to use an external Arm binary toolchain
+#
+
+EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN ?= "/usr/local/arm-binary-toolchain/${TARGET_ARCH}"
+
+TOOLCHAIN_PATH_ADD = "${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN}/bin:"
+PATH =. "${TOOLCHAIN_PATH_ADD}"
+
+EAT_TARGET_SYS:arm ?= "${@ 'arm-none-linux-gnueabihf' if os.path.exists('${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN}/bin/arm-none-linux-gnueabihf-gcc') else 'arm-linux-gnueabihf'}"
+EAT_TARGET_SYS:aarch64 ?= "${@ 'aarch64-none-linux-gnu' if os.path.exists('${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN}/bin/aarch64-none-linux-gnu-gcc') else 'aarch64-linux-gnu'}"
+EAT_TARGET_SYS = "${TARGET_SYS}"
+TARGET_PREFIX = "${EAT_TARGET_SYS}-"
+
+EAT_LIBDIR:arm = "lib"
+EAT_LIBDIR:aarch64 = "lib64"
+
+GCCMULTILIB:forcevariable = "--disable-multilib"
+IMAGE_LINGUAS:forcevariable = ""
+
+# Blacklist toolchain recipes as a belt-and-suspenders way to use the external toolchain
+SKIP_RECIPE[glibc] = "Using external toolchain"
+SKIP_RECIPE[libgcc] = "Using external toolchain"
+SKIP_RECIPE[gcc-cross] = "Using external toolchain"
+SKIP_RECIPE[gcc-cross-aarch64] = "Using external toolchain"
+SKIP_RECIPE[gcc-cross-arm] = "Using external toolchain"
+SKIP_RECIPE[gcc-runtime] = "Using external toolchain"
+SKIP_RECIPE[gcc-sanitizers] = "Using external toolchain"
+
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_linux-libc-headers = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_linux-libc-headers-dev = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/${TARGET_PREFIX}gcc = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/${TARGET_PREFIX}gcc-initial = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/${TARGET_PREFIX}g++ = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/${TARGET_PREFIX}binutils = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/${TARGET_PREFIX}libc-for-gcc = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/${TARGET_PREFIX}compilerlibs = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_glibc = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_libgcc = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/libc = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/libc-locale = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/libintl = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/libiconv = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/crypt = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_glibc-thread-db = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_glibc-mtrace = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_libc-mtrace = "external-arm-toolchain"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/linux-libc-headers = "external-arm-toolchain"
+
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_gcc-cross-canadian-${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH} ?= "external-arm-sdk-toolchain-${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH}"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_binutils-cross-canadian-${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH} ?= "external-arm-sdk-toolchain-${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH}"
+PREFERRED_PROVIDER_gdb-cross-canadian-${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH} ?= "external-arm-sdk-toolchain-${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH}"
+
+TOOLCHAIN_OPTIONS = " --sysroot=${STAGING_DIR_HOST}"
+
+DISTRO_FEATURES_LIBC = "ipv4 ipv6 libc-backtrace libc-big-macros libc-bsd libc-cxx-tests libc-catgets libc-crypt \
+			libc-crypt-ufc libc-db-aliases libc-envz libc-fcvt libc-fmtmsg libc-fstab libc-ftraverse \
+			libc-getlogin libc-idn libc-inet-anl libc-libm libc-libm-big \
+			libc-locales libc-locale-code libc-charsets \
+			libc-memusage libc-nis libc-nsswitch libc-rcmd libc-rtld-debug libc-spawn libc-streams libc-sunrpc \
+			libc-utmp libc-utmpx libc-wordexp libc-posix-clang-wchar libc-posix-regexp libc-posix-regexp-glibc \
+			libc-posix-wchar-io"
+
+ENABLE_BINARY_LOCALE_GENERATION = "0"
+GLIBC_INTERNAL_USE_BINARY_LOCALE = "precompiled"
+LIBCOVERRIDE = ":libc-glibc"
+LIBC_DEPENDENCIES:remove = "glibc-gconv-cp1252 glibc-gconv-ibm850 glibc-gconv-iso8859-1 glibc-gconv-iso8859-15 glibc-localedata-i18n"
+
+ERROR_QA[type] ?= "list"
+python toolchain_metadata_setup () {
+    import subprocess
+    if not isinstance(e, bb.event.ConfigParsed):
+        return
+
+    d = e.data
+    l = d.createCopy()
+    l.finalize()
+    oe_import(l)
+
+    external_toolchain = l.getVar('EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN', True)
+    if not external_toolchain or external_toolchain == 'UNDEFINED':
+        bb.fatal("Error: EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN must be set to the path to your arm toolchain")
+
+    if not os.path.exists(external_toolchain):
+        bb.fatal("Error: EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN path '%s' does not exist" % external_toolchain)
+
+    # The external toolchain may not have been built with the oe-core preferred
+    # gnu hash setting, so ensure that the corresponding sanity check is not an error.
+    error_qa = oe.data.typed_value('ERROR_QA', l)
+    if 'ldflags' in error_qa:
+        error_qa.remove('ldflags')
+        d.setVar('ERROR_QA', ' '.join(error_qa))
+}
+addhandler toolchain_metadata_setup
+
+def populate_toolchain_links(d):
+    import errno
+    import os
+    from glob import glob
+
+    d = d.createCopy()
+    d.finalize()
+
+    pattern = bb.data.expand('${EXTERNAL_TOOLCHAIN}/bin/${TARGET_PREFIX}*', d)
+    files = glob(pattern)
+    if not files:
+        bb.fatal("Unable to populate toolchain binary symlinks")
+
+    bindir = d.getVar('STAGING_BINDIR_TOOLCHAIN', True)
+    bb.mkdirhier(bindir)
+    for f in files:
+        base = os.path.basename(f)
+        newpath = os.path.join(bindir, base)
+        try:
+            os.symlink(f, newpath)
+        except OSError as exc:
+            if exc.errno == errno.EEXIST:
+                break
+            bb.fatal("Unable to populate toolchain binary symlink for %s: %s" % (newpath, exc))
+
+require conf/distro/include/external-arm-toolchain-versions.inc