diff --git a/RepositoryModule_host.mk b/RepositoryModule_host.mk
index 835e41ee7d7c..b58e73e00eca 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,WPD,libwpd) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,WPG,libwpg) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,WPS,libwps) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,LIBXML2,libxml2) \
diff --git a/external/Module_external.mk b/external/Module_external.mk
index 2072aac28c1a..59c83e4a70fd 100644
--- a/external/Module_external.mk
+++ b/external/Module_external.mk
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_moduledirs,external,\
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,ODFGEN,libodfgen) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,ORCUS,liborcus) \
 	$(call gb_Helper_optional,VISIO,libvisio) \
+	$(call gb_Helper_optional,WPD,libwpd) \
 ))
 
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/libwpd/ExternalProject_libwpd.mk b/external/libwpd/ExternalProject_libwpd.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from libwpd/ExternalProject_libwpd.mk
rename to external/libwpd/ExternalProject_libwpd.mk
diff --git a/libwpd/Makefile b/external/libwpd/Makefile
similarity index 71%
rename from libwpd/Makefile
rename to external/libwpd/Makefile
index ccb1c85a04da..e4968cf85fb6 100644
--- a/libwpd/Makefile
+++ b/external/libwpd/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/libwpd/Module_libwpd.mk b/external/libwpd/Module_libwpd.mk
similarity index 93%
rename from libwpd/Module_libwpd.mk
rename to external/libwpd/Module_libwpd.mk
index f852c5cc6281..5082c4a0c254 100644
--- a/libwpd/Module_libwpd.mk
+++ b/external/libwpd/Module_libwpd.mk
@@ -9,13 +9,9 @@
 
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_Module,libwpd))
 
-ifeq ($(SYSTEM_WPD),NO)
-
 $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_targets,libwpd,\
 	ExternalProject_libwpd \
 	UnpackedTarball_libwpd \
 ))
 
-endif
-
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/libwpd/README b/external/libwpd/README
similarity index 100%
rename from libwpd/README
rename to external/libwpd/README
diff --git a/libwpd/UnpackedTarball_libwpd.mk b/external/libwpd/UnpackedTarball_libwpd.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from libwpd/UnpackedTarball_libwpd.mk
rename to external/libwpd/UnpackedTarball_libwpd.mk