diff --git a/builder/builder-options.c b/builder/builder-options.c
index 5dac391d5..05e926e4e 100644
--- a/builder/builder-options.c
+++ b/builder/builder-options.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct BuilderOptions
   gboolean    strip;
   gboolean    no_debuginfo;
   char       *cflags;
+  char       *cppflags;
   char       *cxxflags;
   char       *ldflags;
   char       *prefix;
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (BuilderOptions, builder_options, G_TYPE_OBJECT,
 enum {
   PROP_0,
   PROP_CFLAGS,
+  PROP_CPPFLAGS,
   PROP_CXXFLAGS,
   PROP_LDFLAGS,
   PROP_PREFIX,
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ builder_options_finalize (GObject *object)
 
   g_free (self->cflags);
   g_free (self->cxxflags);
+  g_free (self->cppflags);
   g_free (self->ldflags);
   g_free (self->prefix);
   g_strfreev (self->env);
@@ -105,6 +108,10 @@ builder_options_get_property (GObject    *object,
       g_value_set_string (value, self->cflags);
       break;
 
+    case PROP_CPPFLAGS:
+      g_value_set_string (value, self->cppflags);
+      break;
+
     case PROP_CXXFLAGS:
       g_value_set_string (value, self->cxxflags);
       break;
@@ -167,6 +174,11 @@ builder_options_set_property (GObject      *object,
       self->cxxflags = g_value_dup_string (value);
       break;
 
+    case PROP_CPPFLAGS:
+      g_clear_pointer (&self->cppflags, g_free);
+      self->cppflags = g_value_dup_string (value);
+      break;
+
     case PROP_LDFLAGS:
       g_clear_pointer (&self->ldflags, g_free);
       self->ldflags = g_value_dup_string (value);
@@ -237,6 +249,13 @@ builder_options_class_init (BuilderOptionsClass *klass)
                                                         "",
                                                         NULL,
                                                         G_PARAM_READWRITE));
+  g_object_class_install_property (object_class,
+                                   PROP_CPPFLAGS,
+                                   g_param_spec_string ("cppflags",
+                                                        "",
+                                                        "",
+                                                        NULL,
+                                                        G_PARAM_READWRITE));
   g_object_class_install_property (object_class,
                                    PROP_LDFLAGS,
                                    g_param_spec_string ("ldflags",
@@ -552,6 +571,12 @@ builder_options_get_cxxflags (BuilderOptions *self, BuilderContext *context)
   return builder_options_get_flags (self, context, G_STRUCT_OFFSET (BuilderOptions, cxxflags));
 }
 
+const char *
+builder_options_get_cppflags (BuilderOptions *self, BuilderContext *context)
+{
+  return builder_options_get_flags (self, context, G_STRUCT_OFFSET (BuilderOptions, cppflags));
+}
+
 const char *
 builder_options_get_ldflags (BuilderOptions *self, BuilderContext *context)
 {
@@ -616,7 +641,7 @@ builder_options_get_env (BuilderOptions *self, BuilderContext *context)
   GList *l;
   int i;
   char **envp = NULL;
-  const char *cflags, *cxxflags, *ldflags;
+  const char *cflags, *cppflags, *cxxflags, *ldflags;
 
   for (l = options; l != NULL; l = l->next)
     {
@@ -652,6 +677,10 @@ builder_options_get_env (BuilderOptions *self, BuilderContext *context)
   if (cflags)
     envp = g_environ_setenv (envp, "CFLAGS", cflags, FALSE);
 
+  cppflags = builder_options_get_cppflags (self, context);
+  if (cppflags)
+    envp = g_environ_setenv (envp, "CPPFLAGS", cxxflags, FALSE);
+
   cxxflags = builder_options_get_cxxflags (self, context);
   if (cxxflags)
     envp = g_environ_setenv (envp, "CXXFLAGS", cxxflags, FALSE);
@@ -744,6 +773,7 @@ builder_options_checksum (BuilderOptions *self,
   builder_cache_checksum_str (cache, BUILDER_OPTION_CHECKSUM_VERSION);
   builder_cache_checksum_str (cache, self->cflags);
   builder_cache_checksum_str (cache, self->cxxflags);
+  builder_cache_checksum_compat_str (cache, self->cppflags);
   builder_cache_checksum_str (cache, self->ldflags);
   builder_cache_checksum_str (cache, self->prefix);
   builder_cache_checksum_strv (cache, self->env);
diff --git a/doc/flatpak-manifest.xml b/doc/flatpak-manifest.xml
index 4613acc02..1337d830c 100644
--- a/doc/flatpak-manifest.xml
+++ b/doc/flatpak-manifest.xml
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@
                     <term><option>cflags</option> (string)</term>
                     <listitem><para>This is set in the environment variable CFLAGS during the build. Multiple specifications of this (in e.g. per-arch area) are concatinated with spaces inbetween.</para></listitem>
                 </varlistentry>
+                <varlistentry>
+                    <term><option>cppflags</option> (string)</term>
+                    <listitem><para>This is set in the environment variable CPPFLAGS during the build. Multiple specifications of this (in e.g. per-arch area) are concatinated with spaces inbetween.</para></listitem>
+                </varlistentry>
                 <varlistentry>
                     <term><option>cxxflags</option> (string)</term>
                     <listitem><para>This is set in the environment variable CXXFLAGS during the build. Multiple specifications of this (in e.g. per-arch area) are concatinated with spaces inbetween.</para></listitem>