diff --git a/RepositoryModule_host.mk b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
index 4701511c9463..740d5e01528d 100644
--- a/RepositoryModule_host.mk
+++ b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,libreoffice,\
 	extras \
 	fileaccess \
 	filter \
-	$(call gb_Helper_optional,FONTCONFIG,fontconfig) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,DBCONNECTIVITY,forms) \
 	formula \
 	fpicker \
diff --git a/external/Module_external.mk b/external/Module_external.mk
index 97a2181e851c..a21badee7586 100644
--- a/external/Module_external.mk
+++ b/external/Module_external.mk
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,external,\
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,EPM,epm) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,EXPAT,expat) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,FIREBIRD,firebird) \
+	$(call gb_Helper_optional,FONTCONFIG,fontconfig) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,HARFBUZZ,harfbuzz) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBATOMIC_OPS,libatomic_ops) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBPNG,libpng) \
diff --git a/fontconfig/ExternalPackage_fontconfig.mk b/external/fontconfig/ExternalPackage_fontconfig.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from fontconfig/ExternalPackage_fontconfig.mk
rename to external/fontconfig/ExternalPackage_fontconfig.mk
diff --git a/fontconfig/ExternalProject_fontconfig.mk b/external/fontconfig/ExternalProject_fontconfig.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from fontconfig/ExternalProject_fontconfig.mk
rename to external/fontconfig/ExternalProject_fontconfig.mk
diff --git a/fontconfig/Makefile b/external/fontconfig/Makefile
similarity index 100%
rename from fontconfig/Makefile
rename to external/fontconfig/Makefile
diff --git a/fontconfig/Module_fontconfig.mk b/external/fontconfig/Module_fontconfig.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from fontconfig/Module_fontconfig.mk
rename to external/fontconfig/Module_fontconfig.mk
diff --git a/fontconfig/README b/external/fontconfig/README
similarity index 100%
rename from fontconfig/README
rename to external/fontconfig/README
diff --git a/fontconfig/UnpackedTarball_fontconfig.mk b/external/fontconfig/UnpackedTarball_fontconfig.mk
similarity index 93%
rename from fontconfig/UnpackedTarball_fontconfig.mk
rename to external/fontconfig/UnpackedTarball_fontconfig.mk
index fc2be74be632..413ffeffc7fa 100644
--- a/fontconfig/UnpackedTarball_fontconfig.mk
+++ b/external/fontconfig/UnpackedTarball_fontconfig.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_set_tarball,fontconfig,$(FONTCONFIG_TARBALL),,f
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_set_patchlevel,fontconfig,3))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,fontconfig,\
-	fontconfig/fontconfig-2.8.0.patch \
+	external/fontconfig/fontconfig-2.8.0.patch \
 ))
 
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/fontconfig/fontconfig-2.8.0.patch b/external/fontconfig/fontconfig-2.8.0.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from fontconfig/fontconfig-2.8.0.patch
rename to external/fontconfig/fontconfig-2.8.0.patch