diff --git a/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md b/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
index 46ea1c005..3693e57db 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
@@ -402,6 +402,13 @@ the following special string substitutions:
 - `@PLAINNAME@`: the input filename, without a path
 - `@BASENAME@`: the input filename, with extension removed
 - `@PRIVATE_DIR@` *(since 0.50.1)*: path to a directory where the custom target must store all its intermediate files.
+- `@SOURCE_ROOT@`: the path to the root of the source tree. Depending on the backend,
+  this may be an absolute or a relative to current workdir path.
+- `@BUILD_ROOT@`: the path to the root of the build tree. Depending on the backend,
+  this may be an absolute or a relative to current workdir path.
+- `@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@`: this is the directory where the currently
+  processed meson.build is located in.  Depending on the backend,
+  this may be an absolute or a relative to current workdir path.
 
 *(since 0.47.0)* The `depfile` keyword argument also accepts the
  `@BASENAME@` and `@PLAINNAME@` substitutions.
@@ -1522,6 +1529,16 @@ and subdirectory the target was defined in, respectively.
   or an [`environment()` object](#environment-object) which allows more
   sophisticated environment juggling.
 
+*Since 0.57.0* The template strings passed to `command` keyword arguments accept
+the following special substitutions:
+- `@SOURCE_ROOT@`: the path to the root of the source tree. Depending on the backend,
+  this may be an absolute or a relative to current workdir path.
+- `@BUILD_ROOT@`: the path to the root of the build tree. Depending on the backend,
+  this may be an absolute or a relative to current workdir path.
+- `@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@` *Since 0.57.1*: this is the directory where the currently
+  processed meson.build is located in. Depending on the backend,
+  this may be an absolute or a relative to current workdir path.
+
 ### set_variable()
 
 ``` meson
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
index 2dbf1ec57..ecd506789 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
@@ -1153,6 +1153,8 @@ class Backend:
                     i = i.replace('@SOURCE_ROOT@', source_root)
                 if '@BUILD_ROOT@' in i:
                     i = i.replace('@BUILD_ROOT@', build_root)
+                if '@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@' in i:
+                    i = i.replace('@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@', os.path.join(source_root, target.subdir))
                 if '@DEPFILE@' in i:
                     if target.depfile is None:
                         msg = 'Custom target {!r} has @DEPFILE@ but no depfile ' \
diff --git a/run_unittests.py b/run_unittests.py
index 3aa1cb31f..73be9b7ae 100755
--- a/run_unittests.py
+++ b/run_unittests.py
@@ -2382,6 +2382,7 @@ class AllPlatformTests(BasePlatformTests):
         self.init(testdir)
         self.run_target('check_exists')
         self.run_target('check-env')
+        self.run_target('dummy.stamp')
 
     def test_install_introspection(self):
         '''
diff --git a/test cases/common/52 run target/check-env.py b/test cases/common/52 run target/check-env.py
index 8df3e28c7..cf3eb7c08 100644
--- a/test cases/common/52 run target/check-env.py	
+++ b/test cases/common/52 run target/check-env.py	
@@ -1,9 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
-import os
+import os, sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
 assert 'MESON_SOURCE_ROOT' in os.environ
 assert 'MESON_BUILD_ROOT' in os.environ
 assert 'MESON_SUBDIR' in os.environ
 assert 'MESONINTROSPECT' in os.environ
 assert 'MY_ENV' in os.environ
+
+# Environment has absolute paths and argv has relative paths when using ninja
+# backend and absolute paths when using vs backend. What matters is once
+# resolved they point to same location.
+env_source_root = Path(os.environ['MESON_SOURCE_ROOT']).resolve()
+env_build_root = Path(os.environ['MESON_BUILD_ROOT']).resolve()
+env_current_source_dir = Path(env_source_root, os.environ['MESON_SUBDIR']).resolve()
+argv_paths = [Path(i).resolve() for i in sys.argv[1:]]
+source_root, build_root, current_source_dir = argv_paths
+
+assert source_root == env_source_root
+assert build_root == env_build_root
+assert current_source_dir == env_current_source_dir
diff --git a/test cases/common/52 run target/meson.build b/test cases/common/52 run target/meson.build
index d1964e89f..9b62f165c 100644
--- a/test cases/common/52 run target/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/52 run target/meson.build	
@@ -81,8 +81,25 @@ run_target('ctags',
 run_target('clang-format',
   command : converter)
 
-# Check we can pass env to the program
+# Check we can pass env to the program. Also check some string substitutions
+# that were added in 0.57.0 but not documented. This is documented behaviour
+# since 0.57.1.
 run_target('check-env',
-  command: [find_program('check-env.py')],
+  command: [find_program('check-env.py'), '@SOURCE_ROOT@', '@BUILD_ROOT@',
+            '@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@'],
   env: {'MY_ENV': '1'},
 )
+
+# Check some string substitutions that has always been done but never documented.
+# Some projects have been relying on this implementation detail. This is
+# documented behaviour since 0.57.1.
+custom_target('dummy.stamp',
+  command: [find_program('check-env.py'), '@SOURCE_ROOT@', '@BUILD_ROOT@',
+            '@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@'],
+  env: {'MESON_SOURCE_ROOT': meson.source_root(),
+        'MESON_BUILD_ROOT': meson.build_root(),
+        'MESON_SUBDIR': meson.current_source_dir(),
+        'MESONINTROSPECT': 'fake value',
+        'MY_ENV': '1'},
+  output: 'dummy.stamp',
+)