diff --git a/documentation/conf.py b/documentation/conf.py
index e5e3a8a89abd..aa2ec8d45ed3 100644
--- a/documentation/conf.py
+++ b/documentation/conf.py
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ extensions = [
     'sphinx.ext.intersphinx',
     'sphinx_copybutton',
     'sphinxcontrib.rsvgconverter',
-    'yocto-vars'
+    'yocto-vars',
+    'bitbake',
 ]
 autosectionlabel_prefix_document = True
 
diff --git a/documentation/sphinx/bitbake.py b/documentation/sphinx/bitbake.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c521340c391f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/sphinx/bitbake.py
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-2.0-UK
+#
+# Pygments lexer for BitBake metadata files (``.bb``, ``.bbclass``,
+# ``.bbappend``, ``.inc``, ``.conf``) and inline ``code-block:: bitbake``
+# snippets used throughout the Yocto Project documentation.
+#
+# Pygments does not ship a BitBake lexer, so this Sphinx extension provides
+# one. The token rules below mirror the upstream BitBake vim syntax shipped
+# in ``contrib/vim/syntax/bitbake.vim`` of the bitbake repository:
+# https://git.openembedded.org/bitbake/tree/contrib/vim/syntax/bitbake.vim
+#
+# Highlights:
+#   - comments, line continuations, varflags
+#   - ``${VAR}`` and ``${@python_expr}`` interpolations
+#   - assignment operators (``=``, ``:=``, ``+=``, ``=+``, ``.=``, ``=.``,
+#     ``?=``, ``??=``) with optional ``export`` prefix and OE override
+#     suffixes (``VAR:append``, ``FILES:${PN}-doc``...)
+#   - ``inherit``, ``include``, ``require`` directives
+#   - ``addtask`` / ``deltask`` / ``addhandler`` / ``EXPORT_FUNCTIONS``
+#     statements (with the ``after`` / ``before`` keywords)
+#   - shell task bodies (``do_install() { ... }``) delegated to ``BashLexer``
+#   - ``python``, ``fakeroot python``, anonymous ``python() { ... }`` task
+#     bodies and top-level ``def`` blocks delegated to ``PythonLexer``
+
+import re
+
+from pygments.lexer import RegexLexer, bygroups, include, using, words
+from pygments.lexers.python import PythonLexer
+from pygments.lexers.shell import BashLexer
+from pygments.token import (
+    Comment,
+    Keyword,
+    Name,
+    Operator,
+    Punctuation,
+    String,
+    Text,
+    Whitespace,
+)
+
+__version__ = '1.0'
+
+# A bare BitBake identifier (variable, function or flag name). Allows the
+# characters used by OE-Core variable names (digits, ``-``, ``.``, ``+``).
+_IDENT = r'[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_\-.+]*'
+
+# Optional OE override chain such as ``:append``, ``:remove``, ``:class-target``
+# or ``:${PN}-doc``. Anchored so it only consumes ``:foo`` runs and never
+# eats the leading ``:`` of the ``:=`` assignment operator.
+_OVERRIDE = r'(?::[A-Za-z0-9_\-.+${}]+)*'
+
+# All BitBake variable assignment operators, ordered so that the longer
+# operators win the regex alternation.
+_ASSIGN = r'(?:\?\?=|\?=|:=|\+=|=\+|\.=|=\.|=)'
+
+
+class BitbakeLexer(RegexLexer):
+    """Lexer for BitBake recipes, classes, includes and configuration."""
+
+    name = 'BitBake'
+    aliases = ['bitbake', 'bb']
+    filenames = ['*.bb', '*.bbclass', '*.bbappend', '*.inc', '*.conf']
+    mimetypes = ['text/x-bitbake']
+
+    flags = re.MULTILINE
+
+    tokens = {
+        'root': [
+            (r'[ \t]+', Whitespace),
+            (r'\n', Whitespace),
+            (r'#.*$', Comment.Single),
+
+            # ``python [name]() { ... }`` blocks (also ``fakeroot python``).
+            # Must be tried before the generic shell function rule so the
+            # ``python`` keyword is not mistaken for a shell function name.
+            (r'(^(?:fakeroot[ \t]+)?)(python)((?:[ \t]+' + _IDENT + r')?)'
+             r'([ \t]*\([ \t]*\)[ \t]*)(\{[ \t]*\n)'
+             r'((?:.*\n)*?)'
+             r'(^\}[ \t]*$)',
+             bygroups(Keyword.Type, Keyword, Name.Function, Text,
+                      Punctuation, using(PythonLexer), Punctuation)),
+
+            # Shell task bodies: ``[fakeroot ]name[:override]() { ... }``.
+            (r'(^(?:fakeroot[ \t]+)?)(' + _IDENT + r')(' + _OVERRIDE + r')'
+             r'([ \t]*\([ \t]*\)[ \t]*)(\{[ \t]*\n)'
+             r'((?:.*\n)*?)'
+             r'(^\}[ \t]*$)',
+             bygroups(Keyword.Type, Name.Function, Name.Decorator, Text,
+                      Punctuation, using(BashLexer), Punctuation)),
+
+            # Top-level python ``def`` blocks; the body is any run of
+            # indented or blank lines following the signature.
+            (r'^def[ \t]+' + _IDENT + r'[ \t]*\([^)]*\)[ \t]*:[ \t]*\n'
+             r'(?:[ \t]+.*\n|\n)+',
+             using(PythonLexer)),
+
+            # ``inherit`` / ``include`` / ``require`` directives.
+            (r'^(inherit|include|require)\b',
+             Keyword.Namespace, 'include-line'),
+
+            # ``addtask`` / ``deltask`` / ``addhandler`` / ``EXPORT_FUNCTIONS``.
+            (r'^(addtask|deltask|addhandler|EXPORT_FUNCTIONS)\b',
+             Keyword, 'statement'),
+
+            # ``VAR[flag] = "value"`` (varflag assignment).
+            (r'^(' + _IDENT + r')(\[)(' + _IDENT + r')(\])([ \t]*)('
+             + _ASSIGN + r')',
+             bygroups(Name.Variable, Punctuation, Name.Attribute,
+                      Punctuation, Whitespace, Operator),
+             'value'),
+
+            # ``[export ]VAR[:override...] OP "value"`` assignments.
+            (r'^(export[ \t]+)?(' + _IDENT + r')(' + _OVERRIDE + r')'
+             r'([ \t]*)(' + _ASSIGN + r')',
+             bygroups(Keyword.Type, Name.Variable, Name.Decorator,
+                      Whitespace, Operator),
+             'value'),
+
+            # Anything else: fall through one character at a time.
+            (r'.', Text),
+        ],
+
+        'include-line': [
+            (r'[ \t]+', Whitespace),
+            (r'\\\n', Text),
+            (r'\n', Whitespace, '#pop'),
+            include('interp'),
+            (r'[^\s$]+', String),
+        ],
+
+        'statement': [
+            (r'[ \t]+', Whitespace),
+            (r'\\\n', Text),
+            (r'\n', Whitespace, '#pop'),
+            (words(('after', 'before'), suffix=r'\b'), Keyword),
+            include('interp'),
+            (r'[^\s$\\]+', Name),
+        ],
+
+        'value': [
+            (r'[ \t]+', Whitespace),
+            (r'\\\n', String.Escape),
+            (r'\n', Whitespace, '#pop'),
+            (r'"', String.Double, 'string-double'),
+            (r"'", String.Single, 'string-single'),
+            include('interp'),
+            (r'[^\s"\'$\\]+', String),
+        ],
+
+        'string-double': [
+            (r'\\\n', String.Escape),
+            (r'\\.', String.Escape),
+            (r'"', String.Double, '#pop'),
+            include('interp'),
+            (r'[^"\\$]+', String.Double),
+        ],
+
+        'string-single': [
+            (r'\\\n', String.Escape),
+            (r'\\.', String.Escape),
+            (r"'", String.Single, '#pop'),
+            include('interp'),
+            (r"[^'\\$]+", String.Single),
+        ],
+
+        'interp': [
+            # ``${@ python expression }`` evaluated by BitBake at parse time.
+            (r'\$\{@', String.Interpol, 'py-interp'),
+            # ``${VAR}`` variable expansion.
+            (r'(\$\{)([A-Za-z0-9_\-:.+/]+)(\})',
+             bygroups(String.Interpol, Name.Variable, String.Interpol)),
+        ],
+
+        'py-interp': [
+            (r'\}', String.Interpol, '#pop'),
+            (r'[^}]+', using(PythonLexer)),
+        ],
+    }
+
+
+def setup(app):
+    """Register the BitBake lexer with Sphinx/Pygments."""
+    from sphinx.highlighting import lexers
+
+    bb_lexer = BitbakeLexer()
+    lexers['bitbake'] = bb_lexer
+    lexers['bb'] = bb_lexer
+
+    return {
+        'version': __version__,
+        'parallel_read_safe': True,
+        'parallel_write_safe': True,
+    }