diff --git a/RepositoryModule_build.mk b/RepositoryModule_build.mk
index 70cf74fb9799..520f186ce078 100644
--- a/RepositoryModule_build.mk
+++ b/RepositoryModule_build.mk
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,cross_toolset,\
 		helpcompiler \
 		xmlhelp \
 	) \
-	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBXML2,libxml2) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBXSLT,libxslt) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,QADEVOOO,qadevOOo) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,UCPP,ucpp) \
diff --git a/RepositoryModule_host.mk b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
index cc3d4d66fcda..a23db02023eb 100644
--- a/RepositoryModule_host.mk
+++ b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,libreoffice,\
 	jvmfwk \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LANGUAGETOOL,languagetool) \
 	librelogo \
-	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBXML2,libxml2) \
 	libxmlsec \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBXSLT,libxslt) \
 	lingucomponent \
diff --git a/external/Module_external.mk b/external/Module_external.mk
index a583184d8d56..378e1aca4637 100644
--- a/external/Module_external.mk
+++ b/external/Module_external.mk
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,external,\
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBEXTTEXTCAT,libexttextcat) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBLANGTAG,liblangtag) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBPNG,libpng) \
+	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBXML2,libxml2) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,MSPUB,libmspub) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,MWAW,libmwaw) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,ODFGEN,libodfgen) \
diff --git a/libxml2/ExternalPackage_xml2.mk b/external/libxml2/ExternalPackage_xml2.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/ExternalPackage_xml2.mk
rename to external/libxml2/ExternalPackage_xml2.mk
diff --git a/libxml2/ExternalProject_xml2.mk b/external/libxml2/ExternalProject_xml2.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/ExternalProject_xml2.mk
rename to external/libxml2/ExternalProject_xml2.mk
diff --git a/libxml2/Makefile b/external/libxml2/Makefile
similarity index 71%
rename from libxml2/Makefile
rename to external/libxml2/Makefile
index ccb1c85a04da..e4968cf85fb6 100644
--- a/libxml2/Makefile
+++ b/external/libxml2/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 
 module_directory:=$(dir $(realpath $(firstword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
 
-include $(module_directory)/../solenv/gbuild/partial_build.mk
+include $(module_directory)/../../solenv/gbuild/partial_build.mk
 
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/libxml2/Module_libxml2.mk b/external/libxml2/Module_libxml2.mk
similarity index 93%
rename from libxml2/Module_libxml2.mk
rename to external/libxml2/Module_libxml2.mk
index b02934dfa1f1..f6bca3f80e4f 100644
--- a/libxml2/Module_libxml2.mk
+++ b/external/libxml2/Module_libxml2.mk
@@ -9,14 +9,10 @@
 
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,libxml2))
 
-ifeq ($(SYSTEM_LIBXML),NO)
-
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,libxml2,\
 	ExternalPackage_xml2 \
 	ExternalProject_xml2 \
 	UnpackedTarball_xml2 \
 ))
 
-endif
-
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/libxml2/README b/external/libxml2/README
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/README
rename to external/libxml2/README
diff --git a/libxml2/UnpackedTarball_xml2.mk b/external/libxml2/UnpackedTarball_xml2.mk
similarity index 51%
rename from libxml2/UnpackedTarball_xml2.mk
rename to external/libxml2/UnpackedTarball_xml2.mk
index b0a80d627d28..796ff5e2eb35 100644
--- a/libxml2/UnpackedTarball_xml2.mk
+++ b/external/libxml2/UnpackedTarball_xml2.mk
@@ -12,16 +12,16 @@ $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_UnpackedTarball,xml2))
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_set_tarball,xml2,$(LIBXML_TARBALL),,libxml2))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,xml2,\
-	libxml2/libxml2-configure.patch \
-	libxml2/libxml2-gnome599717.patch \
-	libxml2/libxml2-xpath.patch \
-	libxml2/libxml2-global-symbols.patch \
-	libxml2/libxml2-aix.patch \
-	libxml2/libxml2-vc10.patch \
-	libxml2/libxml2-latin.patch \
-	$(if $(filter ANDROID,$(OS)),libxml2/libxml2-android.patch) \
-	$(if $(filter WNT,$(OS)),libxml2/libxml2-long-path.patch \
-	$(if $(filter GCC,$(COM)),libxml2/libxml2-mingw.patch)) \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-configure.patch \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-gnome599717.patch \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-xpath.patch \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-global-symbols.patch \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-aix.patch \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-vc10.patch \
+	external/libxml2/libxml2-latin.patch \
+	$(if $(filter ANDROID,$(OS)),external/libxml2/libxml2-android.patch) \
+	$(if $(filter WNT,$(OS)),external/libxml2/libxml2-long-path.patch \
+	$(if $(filter GCC,$(COM)),external/libxml2/libxml2-mingw.patch)) \
 ))
 
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-aix.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-aix.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-aix.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-aix.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-android.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-android.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-android.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-android.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-configure.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-configure.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-configure.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-configure.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-global-symbols.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-global-symbols.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-global-symbols.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-global-symbols.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-gnome599717.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-gnome599717.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-gnome599717.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-gnome599717.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-latin.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-latin.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-latin.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-latin.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-long-path.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-long-path.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-long-path.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-long-path.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-mingw.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-mingw.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-mingw.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-mingw.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-vc10.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-vc10.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-vc10.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-vc10.patch
diff --git a/libxml2/libxml2-xpath.patch b/external/libxml2/libxml2-xpath.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from libxml2/libxml2-xpath.patch
rename to external/libxml2/libxml2-xpath.patch