diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cceae92a26..886bd96162 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -940,7 +940,10 @@ printvars:
 		$(sort $(if $(VARS),$(filter $(VARS),$(.VARIABLES)),$(.VARIABLES))), \
 		$(if $(filter-out environment% default automatic, \
 				$(origin $V)), \
-		$(info $V=$($V) ($(value $V)))))
+		$(if $(QUOTED_VARS),\
+			$(info $V='$(subst ','\'',$(if $(RAW_VARS),$(value $V),$($V)))'), \
+			$(info $V=$(if $(RAW_VARS),$(value $V),$($V))))))
+# ' Syntax colouring...
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf $(TARGET_DIR) $(BINARIES_DIR) $(HOST_DIR) \
@@ -1018,6 +1021,7 @@ help:
 	@echo '  source-check           - check selected packages for valid download URLs'
 	@echo '  external-deps          - list external packages used'
 	@echo '  legal-info             - generate info about license compliance'
+	@echo '  printvars              - dump all the internal variables'
 	@echo
 	@echo '  make V=0|1             - 0 => quiet build (default), 1 => verbose build'
 	@echo '  make O=dir             - Locate all output files in "dir", including .config'
diff --git a/docs/manual/make-tips.txt b/docs/manual/make-tips.txt
index 97a3302477..ea1d825bef 100644
--- a/docs/manual/make-tips.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/make-tips.txt
@@ -77,3 +77,57 @@ To delete all build products as well as the configuration:
 If +ccache+ is enabled, running +make clean+ or +distclean+ does
 not empty the compiler cache used by Buildroot. To delete it, refer
 to xref:ccache[].
+
+.Dumping the internal make variables:
+
+One can dump all the variables known to make, along with their values:
+
+----
+ $ make -s printvars
+ VARIABLE=value_of_variable
+ ...
+----
+
+It is possible to tweak the output using some variables:
+
+- +VARS+ will limit the listing to variables which names match the
+  specified make-pattern
+- +QUOTED_VARS+, if set to +YES+, will single-quote the value
+- +RAW_VARS+, if set to +YES+, will print the unexpanded value
+
+For example:
+
+----
+ $ make -s printvars VARS=BUSYBOX_%DEPENDENCIES
+ BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES=skeleton toolchain
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_ALL_DEPENDENCIES=skeleton toolchain
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_DEPENDENCIES=skeleton toolchain
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_PATCH_DEPENDENCIES=
+ BUSYBOX_RDEPENDENCIES=ncurses util-linux
+----
+
+----
+ $ make -s printvars VARS=BUSYBOX_%DEPENDENCIES QUOTED_VARS=YES
+ BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES='skeleton toolchain'
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_ALL_DEPENDENCIES='skeleton toolchain'
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_DEPENDENCIES='skeleton toolchain'
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_PATCH_DEPENDENCIES=''
+ BUSYBOX_RDEPENDENCIES='ncurses util-linux'
+----
+
+----
+ $ make -s printvars VARS=BUSYBOX_%DEPENDENCIES RAW_VARS=YES
+ BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES=skeleton toolchain
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_ALL_DEPENDENCIES=$(sort $(BUSYBOX_FINAL_DEPENDENCIES) $(BUSYBOX_FINAL_PATCH_DEPENDENCIES))
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_DEPENDENCIES=$(sort $(BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES))
+ BUSYBOX_FINAL_PATCH_DEPENDENCIES=$(sort $(BUSYBOX_PATCH_DEPENDENCIES))
+ BUSYBOX_RDEPENDENCIES=ncurses util-linux
+----
+
+The output of quoted variables can be reused in shell scripts, for example:
+
+----
+ $ eval $(make -s printvars VARS=BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES QUOTED_VARS=YES)
+ $ echo $BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES
+ skeleton toolchain
+----