diff --git a/lib/bb/cookerdata.py b/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
index c322ab2ffb..28cb59d83a 100644
--- a/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
+++ b/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def catch_parse_error(func):
 
 @catch_parse_error
 def parse_config_file(fn, data, include=True):
-    return bb.parse.handle(fn, data, include)
+    return bb.parse.handle(fn, data, include, baseconfig=True)
 
 @catch_parse_error
 def _inherit(bbclass, data):
diff --git a/lib/bb/parse/__init__.py b/lib/bb/parse/__init__.py
index 347609513b..4cd82f115b 100644
--- a/lib/bb/parse/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/bb/parse/__init__.py
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ def supports(fn, data):
             return 1
     return 0
 
-def handle(fn, data, include = 0):
+def handle(fn, data, include=0, baseconfig=False):
     """Call the handler that is appropriate for this file"""
     for h in handlers:
         if h['supports'](fn, data):
             with data.inchistory.include(fn):
-                return h['handle'](fn, data, include)
+                return h['handle'](fn, data, include, baseconfig)
     raise ParseError("not a BitBake file", fn)
 
 def init(fn, data):
diff --git a/lib/bb/parse/ast.py b/lib/bb/parse/ast.py
index 9e0a0f5c98..7bfee9ed67 100644
--- a/lib/bb/parse/ast.py
+++ b/lib/bb/parse/ast.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
 #
 
+import sys
 import bb
 from bb import methodpool
 from bb.parse import logger
@@ -269,6 +270,24 @@ class BBHandlerNode(AstNode):
             data.setVarFlag(h, "handler", 1)
         data.setVar('__BBHANDLERS', bbhands)
 
+class PyLibNode(AstNode):
+    def __init__(self, filename, lineno, libdir, namespace):
+        AstNode.__init__(self, filename, lineno)
+        self.libdir = libdir
+        self.namespace = namespace
+
+    def eval(self, data):
+        libdir = data.expand(self.libdir)
+        if libdir not in sys.path:
+            sys.path.append(libdir)
+        try:
+            bb.utils._context[self.namespace] = __import__(self.namespace)
+            toimport = getattr(bb.utils._context[self.namespace], "BBIMPORTS", [])
+            for i in toimport:
+                bb.utils._context[i.split(".", 1)[0]] = __import__(i)
+        except AttributeError as e:
+            bb.error("Error importing OE modules: %s" % str(e))
+
 class InheritNode(AstNode):
     def __init__(self, filename, lineno, classes):
         AstNode.__init__(self, filename, lineno)
@@ -320,6 +339,9 @@ def handleDelTask(statements, filename, lineno, m):
 def handleBBHandlers(statements, filename, lineno, m):
     statements.append(BBHandlerNode(filename, lineno, m.group(1)))
 
+def handlePyLib(statements, filename, lineno, m):
+    statements.append(PyLibNode(filename, lineno, m.group(1), m.group(2)))
+
 def handleInherit(statements, filename, lineno, m):
     classes = m.group(1)
     statements.append(InheritNode(filename, lineno, classes))
diff --git a/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/BBHandler.py b/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/BBHandler.py
index 584966fea1..4d5b45e1ef 100644
--- a/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/BBHandler.py
+++ b/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/BBHandler.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def get_statements(filename, absolute_filename, base_name):
             cached_statements[absolute_filename] = statements
         return statements
 
-def handle(fn, d, include):
+def handle(fn, d, include, baseconfig=False):
     global __infunc__, __body__, __residue__, __classname__
     __body__ = []
     __infunc__ = []
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ def feeder(lineno, s, fn, root, statements, eof=False):
         ast.handleInherit(statements, fn, lineno, m)
         return
 
-    return ConfHandler.feeder(lineno, s, fn, statements)
+    return ConfHandler.feeder(lineno, s, fn, statements, conffile=False)
 
 # Add us to the handlers list
 from .. import handlers
diff --git a/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py b/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py
index 451e68dd66..3076067287 100644
--- a/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py
+++ b/lib/bb/parse/parse_py/ConfHandler.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ __require_regexp__ = re.compile( r"require\s+(.+)" )
 __export_regexp__ = re.compile( r"export\s+([a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.${}/~]+)$" )
 __unset_regexp__ = re.compile( r"unset\s+([a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.${}/~]+)$" )
 __unset_flag_regexp__ = re.compile( r"unset\s+([a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.${}/~]+)\[([a-zA-Z0-9\-_+.]+)\]$" )
+__addpylib_regexp__      = re.compile(r"addpylib\s+(.+)\s+(.+)" )
 
 def init(data):
     return
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ def include_single_file(parentfn, fn, lineno, data, error_out):
 # parsing. This turns out to be a hard problem to solve any other way.
 confFilters = []
 
-def handle(fn, data, include):
+def handle(fn, data, include, baseconfig=False):
     init(data)
 
     if include == 0:
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ def handle(fn, data, include):
             # skip comments
             if s[0] == '#':
                 continue
-            feeder(lineno, s, abs_fn, statements)
+            feeder(lineno, s, abs_fn, statements, baseconfig=baseconfig)
 
     # DONE WITH PARSING... time to evaluate
     data.setVar('FILE', abs_fn)
@@ -157,7 +158,9 @@ def handle(fn, data, include):
 
     return data
 
-def feeder(lineno, s, fn, statements):
+# baseconfig is set for the bblayers/layer.conf cookerdata config parsing
+# The function is also used by BBHandler, conffile would be False
+def feeder(lineno, s, fn, statements, baseconfig=False, conffile=True):
     m = __config_regexp__.match(s)
     if m:
         groupd = m.groupdict()
@@ -189,6 +192,11 @@ def feeder(lineno, s, fn, statements):
         ast.handleUnsetFlag(statements, fn, lineno, m)
         return
 
+    m = __addpylib_regexp__.match(s)
+    if baseconfig and conffile and m:
+        ast.handlePyLib(statements, fn, lineno, m)
+        return
+
     raise ParseError("unparsed line: '%s'" % s, fn, lineno);
 
 # Add us to the handlers list