diff --git a/src/lib/eolian/Eolian.h b/src/lib/eolian/Eolian.h
index eea5b0295e..fa37c199d6 100644
--- a/src/lib/eolian/Eolian.h
+++ b/src/lib/eolian/Eolian.h
@@ -769,6 +769,16 @@ EAPI Eina_Bool eolian_class_dtor_enable_get(const Eolian_Class *klass);
  */
 EAPI const Eolian_Type *eolian_type_find_by_alias(const char *alias);
 
+/*
+ * @brief Check if a typedef is extern.
+ *
+ * @param[in] alias alias of the typedef
+ * @return EINA_TRUE if it's extern, EINA_FALSE otherwise.
+ *
+ * @ingroup Eolian
+ */
+EAPI Eina_Bool eolian_typedef_is_extern(const char *alias);
+
 /*
  * @brief Find a struct by name
  *
@@ -897,6 +907,16 @@ EAPI Eina_Bool eolian_type_is_own(const Eolian_Type *tp);
  */
 EAPI Eina_Bool eolian_type_is_const(const Eolian_Type *tp);
 
+/*
+ * @brief Check if a struct type is extern.
+ *
+ * @param[in] tp the type.
+ * @return EINA_TRUE if it's extern, EINA_FALSE otherwise.
+ *
+ * @ingroup Eolian
+ */
+EAPI Eina_Bool eolian_type_struct_is_extern(const Eolian_Type *tp);
+
 /*
  * @brief Get the full C type name of the given type with a name.
  *
diff --git a/src/lib/eolian/database_type_api.c b/src/lib/eolian/database_type_api.c
index 915cba0310..bbb9e0b5aa 100644
--- a/src/lib/eolian/database_type_api.c
+++ b/src/lib/eolian/database_type_api.c
@@ -9,9 +9,20 @@ eolian_type_find_by_alias(const char *alias)
    Eina_Stringshare *shr = eina_stringshare_add(alias);
    Eolian_Typedef *cl = eina_hash_find(_types, shr);
    eina_stringshare_del(shr);
-   return cl?cl->type:NULL;
+   return cl ? cl->type : NULL;
 }
 
+EAPI Eina_Bool
+eolian_typedef_is_extern(const char *alias)
+{
+   if (!_types) return EINA_FALSE;
+   Eina_Stringshare *shr = eina_stringshare_add(alias);
+   Eolian_Typedef *cl = eina_hash_find(_types, shr);
+   eina_stringshare_del(shr);
+   return cl ? cl->is_extern : EINA_FALSE;
+}
+
+
 EAPI const Eolian_Type *
 eolian_type_struct_find_by_name(const char *name)
 {
@@ -123,6 +134,13 @@ eolian_type_is_const(const Eolian_Type *tp)
    return tp->is_const;
 }
 
+EAPI Eina_Bool
+eolian_type_struct_is_extern(const Eolian_Type *tp)
+{
+   EINA_SAFETY_ON_NULL_RETURN_VAL(tp, EINA_FALSE);
+   return tp->is_extern;
+}
+
 EAPI Eina_Stringshare *
 eolian_type_c_type_named_get(const Eolian_Type *tp, const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/src/lib/eolian/eo_lexer.h b/src/lib/eolian/eo_lexer.h
index 56077cbf71..619aa89e35 100644
--- a/src/lib/eolian/eo_lexer.h
+++ b/src/lib/eolian/eo_lexer.h
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ enum Tokens
     KW(destructor), KW(eo_prefix), KW(events), KW(func), KW(get), \
     KW(implements), KW(interface), KW(keys), KW(legacy), KW(legacy_prefix), \
     KW(methods), KW(mixin), KW(own), KW(params), KW(properties), KW(set), \
-    KW(type), KW(values), KWAT(in), KWAT(inout), KWAT(nonull), KWAT(out), \
-    KWAT(warn_unused), \
+    KW(type), KW(values), KWAT(extern), KWAT(in), KWAT(inout), KWAT(nonull), \
+    KWAT(out), KWAT(warn_unused), \
     \
     KW(byte), KW(ubyte), KW(char), KW(short), KW(ushort), KW(int), KW(uint), \
     KW(long), KW(ulong), KW(llong), KW(ullong), \
diff --git a/src/lib/eolian/eo_parser.c b/src/lib/eolian/eo_parser.c
index d94688fe82..f39bfb6de3 100644
--- a/src/lib/eolian/eo_parser.c
+++ b/src/lib/eolian/eo_parser.c
@@ -229,10 +229,11 @@ _struct_field_free(Eolian_Struct_Field *def)
 }
 
 static Eolian_Type *
-parse_struct(Eo_Lexer *ls, const char *name)
+parse_struct(Eo_Lexer *ls, const char *name, Eina_Bool is_extern)
 {
    int line = ls->line_number, column = ls->column;
    Eolian_Type *def = push_type(ls);
+   def->is_extern = is_extern;
    def->name = name;
    def->type = EOLIAN_TYPE_STRUCT;
    def->fields = eina_hash_string_small_new(EINA_FREE_CB(_struct_field_free));
@@ -314,8 +315,18 @@ parse_type_struct(Eo_Lexer *ls, Eina_Bool allow_struct, Eina_Bool allow_anon)
         eo_lexer_get(ls);
         if (allow_struct)
           {
+             Eina_Bool is_extern = EINA_FALSE;
+             if (ls->t.kw == KW_at_extern)
+               {
+                  is_extern = EINA_TRUE;
+                  eo_lexer_get(ls);
+               }
              if (allow_anon && ls->t.token == '{')
-               return parse_struct(ls, NULL);
+               {
+                  if (is_extern)
+                    eo_lexer_syntax_error(ls, "extern anonymous struct");
+                  return parse_struct(ls, NULL, EINA_FALSE);
+               }
              check(ls, TOK_VALUE);
              sname = eina_stringshare_add(ls->t.value);
              if (eo_lexer_lookahead(ls) == '{')
@@ -323,7 +334,7 @@ parse_type_struct(Eo_Lexer *ls, Eina_Bool allow_struct, Eina_Bool allow_anon)
                   if (eo_lexer_get_c_type(ls->t.kw))
                     eo_lexer_syntax_error(ls, "invalid struct name");
                   eo_lexer_get(ls);
-                  return parse_struct(ls, sname);
+                  return parse_struct(ls, sname, is_extern);
                }
           }
         else
@@ -393,6 +404,11 @@ parse_typedef(Eo_Lexer *ls)
 {
    ls->tmp.typedef_def = calloc(1, sizeof(Eolian_Typedef));
    eo_lexer_get(ls);
+   if (ls->t.kw == KW_at_extern)
+     {
+        ls->tmp.typedef_def->is_extern = EINA_TRUE;
+        eo_lexer_get(ls);
+     }
    check(ls, TOK_VALUE);
    ls->tmp.typedef_def->alias = eina_stringshare_add(ls->t.value);
    eo_lexer_get(ls);
@@ -1034,13 +1050,19 @@ parse_unit(Eo_Lexer *ls, Eina_Bool eot)
       case KW_struct:
         {
            const char *name;
+           Eina_Bool is_extern = EINA_FALSE;
            eo_lexer_get(ls);
+           if (ls->t.kw == KW_at_extern)
+             {
+                is_extern = EINA_TRUE;
+                eo_lexer_get(ls);
+             }
            check(ls, TOK_VALUE);
            if (eo_lexer_get_c_type(ls->t.kw))
              eo_lexer_syntax_error(ls, "invalid struct name");
            name = eina_stringshare_add(ls->t.value);
            eo_lexer_get(ls);
-           parse_struct(ls, name);
+           parse_struct(ls, name, is_extern);
            pop_type(ls);
            break;
         }
diff --git a/src/lib/eolian/eolian_database.h b/src/lib/eolian/eolian_database.h
index a110b691d9..e09a31ee2f 100644
--- a/src/lib/eolian/eolian_database.h
+++ b/src/lib/eolian/eolian_database.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ struct _Eolian_Type
    };
    Eina_Bool is_const  :1;
    Eina_Bool is_own    :1;
+   Eina_Bool is_extern :1;
 };
 
 struct _Eolian_Implement
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ typedef struct _Eolian_Typedef
 {
    Eina_Stringshare *alias;
    Eolian_Type *type;
+   Eina_Bool is_extern :1;
 } Eolian_Typedef;
 
 typedef struct _Eolian_Struct_Field