diff --git a/RepositoryModule_host.mk b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
index 1cd280f59bef..1f358f6e3926 100644
--- a/RepositoryModule_host.mk
+++ b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,libreoffice,\
 	bean \
 	binaryurp \
 	bridges \
-	$(call gb_Helper_optional,CAIRO,cairo) \
 	canvas \
 	chart2 \
 	cli_ure \
diff --git a/external/Module_external.mk b/external/Module_external.mk
index 18becdfbed67..85fb1708609c 100644
--- a/external/Module_external.mk
+++ b/external/Module_external.mk
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,external,\
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,APACHE_COMMONS,apache-commons) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,BOOST,boost) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,BSH,beanshell) \
+	$(call gb_Helper_optional,CAIRO,cairo) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,HARFBUZZ,harfbuzz) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBPNG,libpng) \
 ))
diff --git a/cairo/ExternalPackage_cairo.mk b/external/cairo/ExternalPackage_cairo.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/ExternalPackage_cairo.mk
rename to external/cairo/ExternalPackage_cairo.mk
diff --git a/cairo/ExternalPackage_pixman.mk b/external/cairo/ExternalPackage_pixman.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/ExternalPackage_pixman.mk
rename to external/cairo/ExternalPackage_pixman.mk
diff --git a/cairo/ExternalProject_cairo.mk b/external/cairo/ExternalProject_cairo.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/ExternalProject_cairo.mk
rename to external/cairo/ExternalProject_cairo.mk
diff --git a/cairo/ExternalProject_pixman.mk b/external/cairo/ExternalProject_pixman.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/ExternalProject_pixman.mk
rename to external/cairo/ExternalProject_pixman.mk
diff --git a/cairo/Makefile b/external/cairo/Makefile
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/Makefile
rename to external/cairo/Makefile
diff --git a/cairo/Module_cairo.mk b/external/cairo/Module_cairo.mk
similarity index 94%
rename from cairo/Module_cairo.mk
rename to external/cairo/Module_cairo.mk
index a990b699d57e..6d8a29add558 100644
--- a/cairo/Module_cairo.mk
+++ b/external/cairo/Module_cairo.mk
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
 
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,cairo))
 
-ifeq ($(SYSTEM_CAIRO),NO)
-
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,cairo,\
 	ExternalPackage_cairo \
 	ExternalPackage_pixman \
@@ -20,6 +18,4 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,cairo,\
 	UnpackedTarball_pixman \
 ))
 
-endif
-
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/cairo/README b/external/cairo/README
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/README
rename to external/cairo/README
diff --git a/cairo/UnpackedTarball_cairo.mk b/external/cairo/UnpackedTarball_cairo.mk
similarity index 67%
rename from cairo/UnpackedTarball_cairo.mk
rename to external/cairo/UnpackedTarball_cairo.mk
index a6c1a365f5df..35c8357c5edb 100644
--- a/cairo/UnpackedTarball_cairo.mk
+++ b/external/cairo/UnpackedTarball_cairo.mk
@@ -12,38 +12,38 @@ $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_UnpackedTarball,cairo))
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_set_tarball,cairo,$(CAIRO_TARBALL),,cairo))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,cairo,\
-	cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.patch \
-	cairo/cairo/cairo.dlsym.lcdfilter.patch \
-	cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2-oldfontconfig.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo.dlsym.lcdfilter.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2-oldfontconfig.patch \
 ))
 
 ifeq ($(OS)$(COM),WNTMSC)
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,cairo,\
-	cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.wntmsc.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.wntmsc.patch \
 ))
 endif
 
 # FIXME add cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch for MACOSX >= 1070
 ifeq ($(OS),IOS)
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,cairo,\
-	cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch \
-	cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.ios.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.ios.patch \
 ))
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(OS),ANDROID)
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,cairo,\
-	cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.android.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.android.patch \
 ))
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter ANDROID IOS,$(OS)))
-$(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_file,cairo,.,cairo/cairo/dummy_pkg_config))
+$(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_file,cairo,.,external/cairo/cairo/dummy_pkg_config))
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(COM_GCC_IS_CLANG),TRUE)
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,cairo,\
-	cairo/cairo/no-flto-clang.patch \
+	external/cairo/cairo/no-flto-clang.patch \
 ))
 endif
 
diff --git a/cairo/UnpackedTarball_pixman.mk b/external/cairo/UnpackedTarball_pixman.mk
similarity index 76%
rename from cairo/UnpackedTarball_pixman.mk
rename to external/cairo/UnpackedTarball_pixman.mk
index 85a79ad947e9..1e12550f2895 100644
--- a/cairo/UnpackedTarball_pixman.mk
+++ b/external/cairo/UnpackedTarball_pixman.mk
@@ -12,17 +12,17 @@ $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_UnpackedTarball,pixman))
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_set_tarball,pixman,$(PIXMAN_TARBALL),,cairo))
 
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,pixman,\
-	cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.patch \
+	external/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.patch \
 ))
 
 ifeq ($(OS),ANDROID)
 $(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_patches,pixman,\
-	cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.android.patch \
+	external/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.android.patch \
 ))
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(OS)$(COM),WNTMSC)
-$(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_file,pixman,pixman,cairo/pixman/Makefile.win32.common))
+$(eval $(call gb_UnpackedTarball_add_file,pixman,pixman,external/cairo/pixman/Makefile.win32.common))
 endif
 
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2-oldfontconfig.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2-oldfontconfig.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2-oldfontconfig.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2-oldfontconfig.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.android.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.android.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.android.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.android.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.ios.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.ios.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.ios.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.ios.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.no-atsui.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.wntmsc.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.wntmsc.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.wntmsc.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo-1.10.2.wntmsc.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/cairo.dlsym.lcdfilter.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/cairo.dlsym.lcdfilter.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/cairo.dlsym.lcdfilter.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/cairo.dlsym.lcdfilter.patch
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/dummy_pkg_config b/external/cairo/cairo/dummy_pkg_config
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/dummy_pkg_config
rename to external/cairo/cairo/dummy_pkg_config
diff --git a/cairo/cairo/no-flto-clang.patch b/external/cairo/cairo/no-flto-clang.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/cairo/no-flto-clang.patch
rename to external/cairo/cairo/no-flto-clang.patch
diff --git a/cairo/pixman/Makefile.win32.common b/external/cairo/pixman/Makefile.win32.common
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/pixman/Makefile.win32.common
rename to external/cairo/pixman/Makefile.win32.common
diff --git a/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.android.patch b/external/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.android.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.android.patch
rename to external/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.android.patch
diff --git a/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.patch b/external/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.patch
rename to external/cairo/pixman/pixman-0.24.4.patch