diff --git a/ROMFS/Makefile b/ROMFS/Makefile
index ec4221b93a..3b024de06d 100644
--- a/ROMFS/Makefile
+++ b/ROMFS/Makefile
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ ROMFS_FSSPEC	:= $(SRCROOT)/scripts/rcS~init.d/rcS \
 		   $(SRCROOT)/mixers/FMU_octo_+.mix~mixers/FMU_octo_+.mix \
 		   $(SRCROOT)/logging/logconv.m~logging/logconv.m
 
+# the EXTERNAL_SCRIPTS variable is used to add out of tree scripts
+# to ROMFS. 
+ROMFS_FSSPEC += $(EXTERNAL_SCRIPTS)
+
 #
 # Add the PX4IO firmware to the spec if someone has dropped it into the
 # source directory, or otherwise specified its location.