diff --git a/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt b/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
index cb067bd4e1..59a2684745 100644
--- a/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
@@ -248,6 +248,12 @@ information is (assuming the package name is +libfoo+) :
     +LIBFOO_SITE=/opt/software/libfoo.tar.gz+ +
     +LIBFOO_SITE=$(TOPDIR)/../src/libfoo/+
 
+* +LIBFOO_EXTRA_DOWNLOADS+ lists a number of additional files that
+  Buildroot should download from +LIBFOO_SITE+ in addition to the main
+  +LIBFOO_SOURCE+ (which usually is a tarball). Buildroot will not do
+  anything with those additional files, except download files: it will
+  be up to the package recipe to use them from +$(DL_DIR)+.
+
 * +LIBFOO_SITE_METHOD+ determines the method used to fetch or copy the
   package source code. In many cases, Buildroot guesses the method
   from the contents of +LIBFOO_SITE+ and setting +LIBFOO_SITE_METHOD+
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index bfc4dc14f3..a46457c59d 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ ifeq ($(DL_MODE),DOWNLOAD)
 	fi
 endif
 	$(if $($(PKG)_SOURCE),$(call DOWNLOAD,$($(PKG)_SITE:/=)/$($(PKG)_SOURCE)))
+	$(foreach p,$($(PKG)_EXTRA_DOWNLOADS),$(call DOWNLOAD,$($(PKG)_SITE:/=)/$(p))$(sep))
 	$(foreach p,$($(PKG)_PATCH),\
 		$(if $(findstring ://,$(p)),\
 			$(call DOWNLOAD,$(p)),\