diff --git a/package/exim/Config.in b/package/exim/Config.in
index a71106b2bb..af54acbbf2 100644
--- a/package/exim/Config.in
+++ b/package/exim/Config.in
@@ -8,3 +8,28 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM
 	  Cambridge for use on Unix systems connected to the Internet.
 
 	  http://www.exim.org/
+
+if BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG
+	bool "Use a custom configuration file"
+	help
+	  By default Buildroot generates configuration file for exim with
+	  reasonable settings.
+	  Enable this option if you want to override the configuration file
+	  generated by Buildroot with a customized file. Then set the path
+	  to your configuration file in BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE.
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE
+	string "Custom configuration file"
+	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG
+	help
+	  Specify a file to use as the exim configuration file.
+
+	  This file shall comply with the syntax defined in the exim
+	  documentation (http://www.exim.org/docs.html).
+	  Buildroot will generate a configuration file composed of the
+	  content of the file you provide plus the toolchain-related
+	  settings needed for cross-compilation.
+
+endif
diff --git a/package/exim/exim.mk b/package/exim/exim.mk
index 0f9c6af784..2e51a0d9b9 100644
--- a/package/exim/exim.mk
+++ b/package/exim/exim.mk
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@ define exim-config-add # variable-name, variable-value
 	echo "$1=$2" >>$(@D)/Local/Makefile
 endef
 
-define EXIM_CONFIGURE_CMDS
+define EXIM_USE_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 $(BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE) \
+		$(@D)/Local/Makefile
+endef
+
+define EXIM_USE_DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 $(@D)/src/EDITME $(@D)/Local/Makefile
 	$(call exim-config-change,BIN_DIRECTORY,/usr/sbin)
 	$(call exim-config-change,CONFIGURE_FILE,/etc/exim/configure)
@@ -41,6 +46,9 @@ define EXIM_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	$(call exim-config-change,PCRE_CONFIG,no)
 	$(call exim-config-change,HAVE_ICONV,no)
 	$(call exim-config-unset,EXIM_MONITOR)
+endef
+
+define EXIM_CONFIGURE_TOOLCHAIN
 	$(call exim-config-add,CC,$(TARGET_CC))
 	$(call exim-config-add,CFLAGS,$(TARGET_CFLAGS))
 	$(call exim-config-add,AR,$(TARGET_AR) cq)
@@ -49,6 +57,21 @@ define EXIM_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	$(call exim-config-add,HOSTCFLAGS,$(HOSTCFLAGS))
 endef
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG),y)
+ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE)),)
+$(error No exim configuration file specified, check your BR2_PACKAGE_EXIM_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE setting)
+endif
+define EXIM_CONFIGURE_CMDS
+	$(EXIM_USE_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE)
+	$(EXIM_CONFIGURE_TOOLCHAIN)
+endef
+else # CUSTOM_CONFIG
+define EXIM_CONFIGURE_CMDS
+	$(EXIM_USE_DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE)
+	$(EXIM_CONFIGURE_TOOLCHAIN)
+endef
+endif # CUSTOM_CONFIG
+
 # exim needs a bit of love to build statically
 ifeq ($(BR2_PREFER_STATIC_LIB),y)
 EXIM_STATIC_FLAGS = LFLAGS="-pthread --static"