diff --git a/mesonbuild/mconf.py b/mesonbuild/mconf.py
index 4f8014014..e5b37961e 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mconf.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mconf.py
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ class Conf:
             self.build_dir = os.path.dirname(self.build_dir)
         self.build = None
         self.max_choices_line_length = 60
+        self.name_col = []
+        self.value_col = []
+        self.choices_col = []
+        self.descr_col = []
+        self.has_choices = False
+        self.all_subprojects = set()
+        self.yielding_options = set()
 
         if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(self.build_dir, 'meson-private')):
             self.build = build.load(self.build_dir)
@@ -79,71 +86,89 @@ class Conf:
         # are erased when Meson is executed the next time, i.e. when
         # Ninja is run.
 
-    def print_aligned(self, arr):
-        if not arr:
-            return
+    def print_aligned(self):
+        col_widths = (max([len(i) for i in self.name_col], default=0),
+                      max([len(i) for i in self.value_col], default=0),
+                      max([len(i) for i in self.choices_col], default=0))
 
-        titles = {'name': 'Option', 'descr': 'Description', 'value': 'Current Value', 'choices': 'Possible Values'}
-        if self.default_values_only:
-            titles['value'] = 'Default Value'
-
-        name_col = [titles['name'], '-' * len(titles['name'])]
-        value_col = [titles['value'], '-' * len(titles['value'])]
-        choices_col = [titles['choices'], '-' * len(titles['choices'])]
-        descr_col = [titles['descr'], '-' * len(titles['descr'])]
-
-        choices_found = False
-        for opt in arr:
-            name_col.append(opt['name'])
-            descr_col.append(opt['descr'])
-            if isinstance(opt['value'], list):
-                value_col.append('[{0}]'.format(', '.join(make_lower_case(opt['value']))))
-            else:
-                value_col.append(make_lower_case(opt['value']))
-            if opt['choices']:
-                choices_found = True
-                if isinstance(opt['choices'], list):
-                    choices_list = make_lower_case(opt['choices'])
-                    current = '['
-                    while choices_list:
-                        i = choices_list.pop(0)
-                        if len(current) + len(i) >= self.max_choices_line_length:
-                            choices_col.append(current + ',')
-                            name_col.append('')
-                            value_col.append('')
-                            descr_col.append('')
-                            current = ' '
-                        if len(current) > 1:
-                            current += ', '
-                        current += i
-                    choices_col.append(current + ']')
-                else:
-                    choices_col.append(make_lower_case(opt['choices']))
+        for line in zip(self.name_col, self.value_col, self.choices_col, self.descr_col):
+            if self.has_choices:
+                print('{0:{width[0]}} {1:{width[1]}} {2:{width[2]}} {3}'.format(*line, width=col_widths))
             else:
-                choices_col.append('')
+                print('{0:{width[0]}} {1:{width[1]}} {3}'.format(*line, width=col_widths))
 
-        col_widths = (max([len(i) for i in name_col], default=0),
-                      max([len(i) for i in value_col], default=0),
-                      max([len(i) for i in choices_col], default=0),
-                      max([len(i) for i in descr_col], default=0))
+    def split_options_per_subproject(self, options):
+        result = {}
+        for k, o in options.items():
+            subproject = ''
+            if ':' in k:
+                subproject, optname = k.split(':')
+                if o.yielding and optname in options:
+                    self.yielding_options.add(k)
+                self.all_subprojects.add(subproject)
+            result.setdefault(subproject, {})[k] = o
+        return result
 
-        for line in zip(name_col, value_col, choices_col, descr_col):
-            if choices_found:
-                print('  {0:{width[0]}} {1:{width[1]}} {2:{width[2]}} {3:{width[3]}}'.format(*line, width=col_widths))
+    def _add_line(self, name, value, choices, descr):
+        self.name_col.append(' ' * self.print_margin + name)
+        self.value_col.append(value)
+        self.choices_col.append(choices)
+        self.descr_col.append(descr)
+
+    def add_option(self, name, descr, value, choices):
+        if isinstance(value, list):
+            value = '[{0}]'.format(', '.join(make_lower_case(value)))
+        else:
+            value = make_lower_case(value)
+
+        if choices:
+            self.has_choices = True
+            if isinstance(choices, list):
+                choices_list = make_lower_case(choices)
+                current = '['
+                while choices_list:
+                    i = choices_list.pop(0)
+                    if len(current) + len(i) >= self.max_choices_line_length:
+                        self._add_line(name, value, current + ',', descr)
+                        name = ''
+                        value = ''
+                        descr = ''
+                        current = ' '
+                    if len(current) > 1:
+                        current += ', '
+                    current += i
+                choices = current + ']'
             else:
-                print('  {0:{width[0]}} {1:{width[1]}} {3:{width[3]}}'.format(*line, width=col_widths))
+                choices = make_lower_case(choices)
+        else:
+            choices = ''
+
+        self._add_line(name, value, choices, descr)
+
+    def add_title(self, title):
+        titles = {'descr': 'Description', 'value': 'Current Value', 'choices': 'Possible Values'}
+        if self.default_values_only:
+            titles['value'] = 'Default Value'
+        self._add_line('', '', '', '')
+        self._add_line(title, titles['value'], titles['choices'], titles['descr'])
+        self._add_line('-' * len(title), '-' * len(titles['value']), '-' * len(titles['choices']), '-' * len(titles['descr']))
+
+    def add_section(self, section):
+        self.print_margin = 0
+        self._add_line('', '', '', '')
+        self._add_line(section + ':', '', '', '')
+        self.print_margin = 2
 
     def print_options(self, title, options):
-        print('\n{}:'.format(title))
         if not options:
-            print('  No {}\n'.format(title.lower()))
-        arr = []
+            return
+        if title:
+            self.add_title(title)
         for k, o in sorted(options.items()):
-            d = o.description
-            v = o.printable_value()
-            c = o.choices
-            arr.append({'name': k, 'descr': d, 'value': v, 'choices': c})
-        self.print_aligned(arr)
+            printable_value = o.printable_value()
+            if k in self.yielding_options:
+                printable_value = '<inherited from main project>'
+            self.add_option(k, o.description, printable_value, o.choices)
 
     def print_conf(self):
         def print_default_values_warning():
@@ -180,26 +205,44 @@ class Conf:
         test_options = {k: o for k, o in self.coredata.builtins.items() if k in test_option_names}
         core_options = {k: o for k, o in self.coredata.builtins.items() if k in core_option_names}
 
-        self.print_options('Core options', core_options)
-        if self.default_values_only or self.build.environment.is_cross_build():
-            self.print_options('Core options (for host machine)', self.coredata.builtins_per_machine.host)
-            self.print_options(
-                'Core options (for build machine)',
-                {'build.' + k: o for k, o in self.coredata.builtins_per_machine.build.items()})
-        else:
-            self.print_options('Core options', self.coredata.builtins_per_machine.host)
+        def insert_build_prefix(k):
+            idx = k.find(':')
+            if idx < 0:
+                return 'build.' + k
+            return k[:idx + 1] + 'build.' + k[idx + 1:]
+
+        core_options = self.split_options_per_subproject(core_options)
+        host_compiler_options = self.split_options_per_subproject(self.coredata.compiler_options.host)
+        build_compiler_options = self.split_options_per_subproject({insert_build_prefix(k): o for k, o in self.coredata.compiler_options.build.items()})
+        project_options = self.split_options_per_subproject(self.coredata.user_options)
+        show_build_options = self.default_values_only or self.build.environment.is_cross_build()
+
+        self.add_section('Main project options')
+        self.print_options('Core options', core_options[''])
+        self.print_options('', self.coredata.builtins_per_machine.host)
+        if show_build_options:
+            self.print_options('', {insert_build_prefix(k): o for k, o in self.coredata.builtins_per_machine.build.items()})
         self.print_options('Backend options', self.coredata.backend_options)
         self.print_options('Base options', self.coredata.base_options)
-        if self.default_values_only or self.build.environment.is_cross_build():
-            self.print_options('Compiler options (for host machine)', self.coredata.compiler_options.host)
-            self.print_options(
-                'Compiler options (for build machine)',
-                {'build.' + k: o for k, o in self.coredata.compiler_options.build.items()})
-        else:
-            self.print_options('Compiler options', self.coredata.compiler_options.host)
+        self.print_options('Compiler options', host_compiler_options[''])
+        if show_build_options:
+            self.print_options('', build_compiler_options[''])
         self.print_options('Directories', dir_options)
-        self.print_options('Project options', self.coredata.user_options)
         self.print_options('Testing options', test_options)
+        self.print_options('Project options', project_options[''])
+        for subproject in sorted(self.all_subprojects):
+            if subproject == '':
+                continue
+            self.add_section('Subproject ' + subproject)
+            if subproject in core_options:
+                self.print_options('Core options', core_options[subproject])
+            if subproject in host_compiler_options:
+                self.print_options('Compiler options', host_compiler_options[subproject])
+            if subproject in build_compiler_options and show_build_options:
+                self.print_options('', build_compiler_options[subproject])
+            if subproject in project_options:
+                self.print_options('Project options', project_options[subproject])
+        self.print_aligned()
 
         # Print the warning twice so that the user shouldn't be able to miss it
         if self.default_values_only: