diff --git a/docker/settings.py b/docker/settings.py
index 616b67b..2821d82 100644
--- a/docker/settings.py
+++ b/docker/settings.py
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ TEMP_BASE_DIR = "/tmp"
 # Fetch URL of the BitBake repository for the update script
 BITBAKE_REPO_URL = "git://git.openembedded.org/bitbake"
 
+# Path within the BITBAKE_REPO_URL, usually empty
+BITBAKE_PATH = ""
+
 # Core layer to be used by the update script for basic BitBake configuration
 CORE_LAYER_NAME = "openembedded-core"
 
diff --git a/layerindex/bulkchange.py b/layerindex/bulkchange.py
index f6506ef..3d1ee2b 100644
--- a/layerindex/bulkchange.py
+++ b/layerindex/bulkchange.py
@@ -98,7 +98,13 @@ def main():
 
     branch = utils.get_branch('master')
     fetchdir = settings.LAYER_FETCH_DIR
-    bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, 'bitbake')
+
+    import layerindex.models import LayerItem
+    bitbakeitem = LayerItem()
+    bitbakeitem.vcs_url = settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL
+    bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, bitbakeitem.get_fetch_dir())
+    if getattr(settings, 'BITBAKE_PATH', ''):
+        bitbakepath = os.path.join(bitbakepath, settings.BITBAKE_PATH)
 
     if not os.path.exists(bitbakepath):
         sys.stderr.write("Unable to find bitbake checkout at %s" % bitbakepath)
diff --git a/layerindex/layerconfparse.py b/layerindex/layerconfparse.py
index 526d2c2..a812140 100644
--- a/layerindex/layerconfparse.py
+++ b/layerindex/layerconfparse.py
@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@ class LayerConfParse:
 
         if not bitbakepath:
             fetchdir = settings.LAYER_FETCH_DIR
-            bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, 'bitbake')
+
+            from layerindex.models import LayerItem
+            bitbakeitem = LayerItem()
+            bitbakeitem.vcs_url = settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL
+            bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, bitbakeitem.get_fetch_dir())
+            if getattr(settings, 'BITBAKE_PATH', ''):
+                bitbakepath = os.path.join(bitbakepath, settings.BITBAKE_PATH)
         self.bbpath = bitbakepath
 
         # Set up BBPATH.
diff --git a/layerindex/update.py b/layerindex/update.py
index 7faf6b5..851b76c 100755
--- a/layerindex/update.py
+++ b/layerindex/update.py
@@ -268,8 +268,6 @@ def main():
             logger.error("Layer index lock timeout expired")
             sys.exit(1)
         try:
-            bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, 'bitbake')
-
             if not options.nofetch:
                 # Make sure oe-core is fetched since recipe parsing requires it
                 layerquery_core = LayerItem.objects.filter(comparison=False).filter(name=settings.CORE_LAYER_NAME)
@@ -285,7 +283,17 @@ def main():
                     if layer.vcs_url not in allrepos:
                         allrepos[layer.vcs_url] = (repodir, urldir, fetchdir, layer.name)
                 # Add bitbake
-                allrepos[settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL] = (bitbakepath, "bitbake", fetchdir, "bitbake")
+                if settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL not in allrepos:
+                    bitbakeitem = LayerItem()
+                    bitbakeitem.vcs_url = settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL
+                    bitbakeurldir = bitbakeitem.get_fetch_dir()
+                    bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, bitbakeurldir)
+                    allrepos[settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL] = (bitbakepath, bitbakeurldir, fetchdir, "bitbake")
+
+                (bitbakepath, _, _, _) = allrepos[settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL]
+                if getattr(settings, 'BITBAKE_PATH', ''):
+                    bitbakepath = os.path.join(bitbakepath, settings.BITBAKE_PATH)
+
                 # Parallel fetching
                 pool = multiprocessing.Pool(int(settings.PARALLEL_JOBS))
                 for url in allrepos:
diff --git a/layerindex/update_layer.py b/layerindex/update_layer.py
index 7131d70..fcae54f 100644
--- a/layerindex/update_layer.py
+++ b/layerindex/update_layer.py
@@ -300,7 +300,11 @@ def main():
         logger.error("Please set LAYER_FETCH_DIR in settings.py")
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, 'bitbake')
+    bitbakeitem = LayerItem()
+    bitbakeitem.vcs_url = settings.BITBAKE_REPO_URL
+    bitbakepath = os.path.join(fetchdir, bitbakeitem.get_fetch_dir())
+    if getattr(settings, 'BITBAKE_PATH', ''):
+        bitbakepath = os.path.join(bitbakepath, settings.BITBAKE_PATH)
 
     layer = utils.get_layer(options.layer)
     urldir = layer.get_fetch_dir()
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index e0f5984..e9bf6cc 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@ TEMP_BASE_DIR = "/tmp"
 # Fetch URL of the BitBake repository for the update script
 BITBAKE_REPO_URL = "git://git.openembedded.org/bitbake"
 
+# Path within the BITBAKE_REPO_URL, usually empty
+BITBAKE_PATH = ""
+
 # Core layer to be used by the update script for basic BitBake configuration
 CORE_LAYER_NAME = "openembedded-core"