diff --git a/support/scripts/br2-external b/support/scripts/br2-external
index 2c33e6eacc..5815c6ded0 100755
--- a/support/scripts/br2-external
+++ b/support/scripts/br2-external
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ do_mk() {
         done
         printf '\n'
 
-        printf 'BR2_EXTERNAL_NAMES = \n'
+        printf 'export BR2_EXTERNAL_NAMES = \n'
         printf 'BR2_EXTERNAL_DIRS = \n'
         printf 'BR2_EXTERNAL_MKS = \n'
 
@@ -181,6 +181,14 @@ do_kconfig() {
 
     printf 'menu "External options"\n\n' >>"${outputdir}/.br2-external.in.menus"
 
+    {
+        printf 'config BR2_EXTERNAL_NAMES\n'
+        printf '\tstring\n'
+        # Use star-expansion: we really one a single arg.
+        printf '\tdefault "%s"\n' "${BR2_EXT_NAMES[*]}"
+        printf '\n'
+    } >>"${outputdir}/.br2-external.in.paths"
+
     for br2_name in "${BR2_EXT_NAMES[@]}"; do
         eval br2_desc="\"\${BR2_EXT_DESCS_${br2_name}}\""
         eval br2_ext="\"\${BR2_EXT_PATHS_${br2_name}}\""