diff --git a/doc/user_manual.md b/doc/user_manual.md
index d13a74e9..fb6574bb 100644
--- a/doc/user_manual.md
+++ b/doc/user_manual.md
@@ -744,6 +744,7 @@ target binary artifacts. Developer chroots to sdk rootfs and develops applicatio
 
 User manually triggers creation of SDK root filesystem for his target platform by launching the task `do_populate_sdk` for target image, f.e.
 `bitbake -c do_populate_sdk mc:${MACHINE}-${DISTRO}:isar-image-base`.
+Packages that should be additionally installed into the SDK can be appended to `SDK_PREINSTALL` (external repositories) and `SDK_INSTALL` (self-built).
 
 The resulting SDK rootfs is archived into `tmp/deploy/images/${MACHINE}/sdk-${DISTRO}-${DISTRO_ARCH}.tar.xz`.
 It is additionally available for direct use under `tmp/deploy/images/${MACHINE}/sdk-${DISTRO}-${DISTRO_ARCH}/`.
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/sdkchroot/sdkchroot.bb b/meta/recipes-devtools/sdkchroot/sdkchroot.bb
index 467e6824..ab0a66dc 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/sdkchroot/sdkchroot.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/sdkchroot/sdkchroot.bb
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ SRC_URI = " \
     file://README.sdk"
 PV = "0.1"
 
+SDK_INSTALL ?= ""
+
+DEPENDS += "${SDK_INSTALL}"
+
 TOOLCHAIN = "crossbuild-essential-${DISTRO_ARCH}"
 TOOLCHAIN_${HOST_ARCH} = "build-essential"
 TOOLCHAIN_i386 = "build-essential"
@@ -21,7 +25,7 @@ inherit rootfs
 ROOTFS_ARCH = "${HOST_ARCH}"
 ROOTFS_DISTRO = "${HOST_DISTRO}"
 ROOTFSDIR = "${S}"
-ROOTFS_PACKAGES = "${SDKCHROOT_PREINSTALL} ${TOOLCHAIN}"
+ROOTFS_PACKAGES = "${SDK_PREINSTALL} ${SDK_INSTALL} ${TOOLCHAIN}"
 ROOTFS_FEATURES += "clean-package-cache generate-manifest"
 ROOTFS_MANIFEST_DEPLOY_DIR = "${DEPLOY_DIR_SDKCHROOT}"
 
@@ -31,15 +35,16 @@ python() {
             d.getVar("ROOTFS_ARCH")))
 }
 
-SDKCHROOT_PREINSTALL := "debhelper \
-                           autotools-dev \
-                           dpkg \
-                           locales \
-                           docbook-to-man \
-                           apt \
-                           automake \
-                           devscripts \
-                           equivs"
+SDK_PREINSTALL += " \
+    debhelper \
+    autotools-dev \
+    dpkg \
+    locales \
+    docbook-to-man \
+    apt \
+    automake \
+    devscripts \
+    equivs"
 
 S = "${WORKDIR}/rootfs"