diff --git a/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md b/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
index e3830cc51..f4fa89eb8 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
@@ -1773,10 +1773,6 @@ the following methods.
   refer to files in the current or any other source directory instead
   of constructing paths manually with `meson.current_source_dir()`.
 
-- `get_cross_property(propname, fallback_value)` returns the given
-  property from a cross file, the optional second argument is returned
-  if not cross compiling or the given property is not found.
-
 - `get_compiler(language)` returns [an object describing a
   compiler](#compiler-object), takes one positional argument which is
   the language to use. It also accepts one keyword argument, `native`
@@ -1786,6 +1782,19 @@ the following methods.
   returns the "cross" compiler if we're currently cross-compiling and
   the "native" compiler if we're not.
 
+- `get_cross_property(propname, fallback_value)`
+  *Consider get_external_property() instead*. Returns the given
+  property from a cross file, the optional fallback_value is returned
+  if not cross compiling or the given property is not found.
+
+- `get_external_property(propname, fallback_value, native: true/false)`
+  *(added 0.54.0)* returns the given property from a native or cross file.
+  The optional fallback_value is returned if the given property is not found.
+  The optional `native: true` forces retrieving a variable from the
+  native file, even when cross-compiling.
+  If `native: false` or not specified, variable is retrieved from the
+  cross-file if cross-compiling, and from the native-file when not cross-compiling.
+
 - `has_exe_wrapper()` returns true when doing a cross build if there
   is a wrapper command that can be used to execute cross built
   binaries (for example when cross compiling from Linux to Windows,
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/native_property.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/native_property.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3808d895
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/native_property.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+## Native file properties
+
+As of Meson 0.54.0, the `--native-file nativefile.ini` can contain:
+
+* binaries
+* paths
+* properties
+
+which are defined and used the same way as in cross files.
+The `properties` are new for Meson 0.54.0, and are read like:
+
+```meson
+x = meson.get_external_property('foobar', 'foo')
+```
+
+where `foobar` is the property name, and the optional `foo` is the fallback string value.
+
+For cross-compiled projects, `get_external_property()` reads the cross-file unless `native: true` is specified.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mesonbuild/environment.py b/mesonbuild/environment.py
index beaff767c..554d79b4f 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/environment.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/environment.py
@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ class Environment:
                 coredata.load_configs(self.coredata.config_files))
             binaries.build = BinaryTable(config.get('binaries', {}))
             paths.build = Directories(**config.get('paths', {}))
+            properties.build = Properties(config.get('properties', {}))
 
         ## Read in cross file(s) to override host machine configuration
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index e32e0a1d9..74882b223 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ from .modules import ModuleReturnValue
 from .cmake import CMakeInterpreter
 
 from pathlib import Path, PurePath
-import os, shutil, uuid
-import re, shlex
+import os
+import shutil
+import uuid
+import re
+import shlex
 import subprocess
 import collections
 from itertools import chain
@@ -1845,6 +1848,7 @@ class MesonMain(InterpreterObject):
                              'version': self.version_method,
                              'project_name': self.project_name_method,
                              'get_cross_property': self.get_cross_property_method,
+                             'get_external_property': self.get_external_property_method,
                              'backend': self.backend_method,
                              })
 
@@ -2017,7 +2021,7 @@ class MesonMain(InterpreterObject):
 
     @noArgsFlattening
     @permittedKwargs({})
-    def get_cross_property_method(self, args, kwargs):
+    def get_cross_property_method(self, args, kwargs) -> str:
         if len(args) < 1 or len(args) > 2:
             raise InterpreterException('Must have one or two arguments.')
         propname = args[0]
@@ -2031,6 +2035,34 @@ class MesonMain(InterpreterObject):
                 return args[1]
             raise InterpreterException('Unknown cross property: %s.' % propname)
 
+    @noArgsFlattening
+    @permittedKwargs({'native'})
+    @FeatureNew('meson.get_external_property', '0.54.0')
+    def get_external_property_method(self, args: T.Sequence[str], kwargs: dict) -> str:
+        if len(args) < 1 or len(args) > 2:
+            raise InterpreterException('Must have one or two positional arguments.')
+        propname = args[0]
+        if not isinstance(propname, str):
+            raise InterpreterException('Property name must be string.')
+
+        def _get_native() -> str:
+            try:
+                props = self.interpreter.environment.properties.build
+                return props[propname]
+            except Exception:
+                if len(args) == 2:
+                    return args[1]
+                raise InterpreterException('Unknown native property: %s.' % propname)
+        if 'native' in kwargs:
+            if kwargs['native']:
+                return _get_native()
+            else:
+                return self.get_cross_property_method(args, {})
+        else:  # native: not specified
+            if self.build.environment.is_cross_build():
+                return self.get_cross_property_method(args, kwargs)
+            else:
+                return _get_native()
 
 known_library_kwargs = (
     build.known_shlib_kwargs |
diff --git a/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py b/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py
index 85d883bef..891e7a12e 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2012-2015 The Meson development team
+# Copyright 2012-2019 The Meson development team
 
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
diff --git a/test cases/common/192 args flattening/meson.build b/test cases/common/192 args flattening/meson.build
index 6da2e8f25..1dac2f912 100644
--- a/test cases/common/192 args flattening/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/192 args flattening/meson.build	
@@ -1,29 +1,31 @@
 project('args flattening')
 
 arr = get_variable('does-not-exist', ['bar', 'baz'])
-
 assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'get_variable with array fallback is broken')
 
 set_variable('arr', ['bar', 'baz'])
-
 assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'set_variable(array) is broken')
 
 conf = configuration_data()
-
 conf.set('foo', ['bar', 'baz'])
-
 assert(conf.get('foo') == ['bar', 'baz'], 'configuration_data.set(array) is broken')
 
 arr = conf.get('does-not-exist', ['bar', 'baz'])
-
 assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'configuration_data.get with array fallback is broken')
 
 arr = meson.get_cross_property('does-not-exist', ['bar', 'baz'])
-
 assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'meson.get_cross_property with array fallback is broken')
 
+arr = meson.get_external_property('does-not-exist', ['bar', 'baz'])
+assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'meson.get_external_property with array fallback is broken')
+
+arr = meson.get_external_property('does-not-exist', ['bar', 'baz'], native: true)
+assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'meson.get_external_property native:true with array fallback is broken')
+
+arr = meson.get_external_property('does-not-exist', ['bar', 'baz'], native: false)
+assert(arr == ['bar', 'baz'], 'meson.get_external_property native:false with array fallback is broken')
+
 # Test deprecated behaviour
 
 conf.set(['foo', 'bar'])
-
 message(conf.get('foo'))
diff --git a/test cases/common/229 native prop/crossfile.ini b/test cases/common/229 native prop/crossfile.ini
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62d63ed63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/229 native prop/crossfile.ini	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[properties]
+astring = 'cross'
+anarray = ['one', 'two']
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test cases/common/229 native prop/meson.build b/test cases/common/229 native prop/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64da41018
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/229 native prop/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+project('get prop')
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('astring')
+ref = meson.is_cross_build() ? 'cross' : 'mystring'
+assert(x==ref, 'did not get native property string. did you use "meson setup --native-file native.txt"')
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('astring', native: true)
+assert(x=='mystring', 'did not get native property with native:true and non-cross build.')
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('astring', 'fallback', native: false)
+assert(x==ref, 'did not get get native property with native:false and non-cross build.')
+
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('notexist', 'fallback')
+assert(x=='fallback', 'fallback did not work')
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('notexist', 'fallback', native: true)
+assert(x=='fallback', 'fallback native:true did not work')
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('notexist', 'fallback', native: false)
+assert(x=='fallback', 'fallback native:false did not work')
+
+
+x = meson.get_external_property('anarray')
+assert(x==['one', 'two'], 'array did not work')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test cases/common/229 native prop/nativefile.ini b/test cases/common/229 native prop/nativefile.ini
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03c1e0397
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/229 native prop/nativefile.ini	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[properties]
+astring = 'mystring'
+anarray = ['one', 'two']
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test cases/failing/99 no native prop/meson.build b/test cases/failing/99 no native prop/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9567549f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/failing/99 no native prop/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+project('missing property')
+
+message(meson.get_external_property('nonexisting'))