diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/add_str_splitlines_method.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/add_str_splitlines_method.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6787f179b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/add_str_splitlines_method.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## Added str.splitlines method
+
+[[str.splitlines]] can now be used to split a string into an array of lines.
diff --git a/docs/yaml/elementary/str.yml b/docs/yaml/elementary/str.yml
index 00587cbd6..dca6382a2 100644
--- a/docs/yaml/elementary/str.yml
+++ b/docs/yaml/elementary/str.yml
@@ -204,6 +204,28 @@ methods:
       type: str
       description: Specifies the character / substring where to split the string.
 
+- name: splitlines
+  returns: list[str]
+  since: 1.2.0
+  description: |
+    Splits the string into an array of lines.
+    Unlike .split('\n'), the empty string produced an empty array,
+    and if the string ends in a newline, splitlines() doesn't split
+    on that last newline.
+    '\n', '\r' and '\r\n' are all considered newlines.
+
+  example: |
+    ```meson
+    output = 'hello\nworld\n'.splitlines()
+    # Output value is ['hello', 'world']
+    output = ''.splitlines()
+    # Output value is []
+    fs = import('fs')
+    paths = fs.read('my_paths.list').splitlines()
+    # paths is now the paths listed in 'my_paths.list', or an empty list
+    # if 'my_paths.list' is empty
+    ```
+
 # str.join()
 - name: join
   returns: str
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/primitives/string.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/primitives/string.py
index d9f6a0664..d4daab9f0 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/primitives/string.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/primitives/string.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class StringHolder(ObjectHolder[str]):
             'join': self.join_method,
             'replace': self.replace_method,
             'split': self.split_method,
+            'splitlines': self.splitlines_method,
             'strip': self.strip_method,
             'substring': self.substring_method,
             'to_int': self.to_int_method,
@@ -104,6 +105,12 @@ class StringHolder(ObjectHolder[str]):
 
         return re.sub(r'@(\d+)@', arg_replace, self.held_object)
 
+    @noKwargs
+    @noPosargs
+    @FeatureNew('str.splitlines', '1.2.0')
+    def splitlines_method(self, args: T.List[TYPE_var], kwargs: TYPE_kwargs) -> T.List[str]:
+        return self.held_object.splitlines()
+
     @noKwargs
     @typed_pos_args('str.join', varargs=str)
     def join_method(self, args: T.Tuple[T.List[str]], kwargs: TYPE_kwargs) -> str:
diff --git a/test cases/common/35 string operations/meson.build b/test cases/common/35 string operations/meson.build
index 116fe0b2b..27cc0d8c8 100644
--- a/test cases/common/35 string operations/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/35 string operations/meson.build	
@@ -125,3 +125,15 @@ assert(mysubstring.substring(10, -25) == '', 'substring is broken')
 assert(mysubstring.substring(-4, 2) == '', 'substring is broken')
 assert(mysubstring.substring(10, 9) == '', 'substring is broken')
 assert(mysubstring.substring(8, 10) == 'z', 'substring is broken')
+
+# str.splitlines()
+assert('foo\nbar\nbaz'.splitlines() == ['foo', 'bar', 'baz'], 'splitlines is broken')
+assert(''.splitlines() == [], 'splitlines with empty string is broken')
+assert('foo\rbar\nbaz\n'.splitlines() == ['foo', 'bar', 'baz'], 'splitlines trailing newline is broken')
+assert('hello\r\nworld'.splitlines() == ['hello', 'world'])
+assert(
+  '  leading ws\nand trailing\t'.splitlines() == ['  leading ws', 'and trailing\t'],
+  'splitlines leading/trailing whitespace is broken',
+)
+assert('\n\r\n\r'.splitlines() == ['', '', ''], 'splitlines is broken')
+assert('foo'.splitlines() == ['foo'], 'splitlines is broken')