diff --git a/lib/std/Build.zig b/lib/std/Build.zig
index 68e80435f8..c091079b38 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build.zig
@@ -1457,7 +1457,26 @@ pub fn dependency(b: *Build, name: []const u8, args: anytype) *Dependency {
     process.exit(1);
 }
 
-fn dependencyInner(
+pub fn anonymousDependency(
+    b: *Build,
+    /// The path to the directory containing the dependency's build.zig file,
+    /// relative to the current package's build.zig.
+    relative_build_root: []const u8,
+    /// A direct `@import` of the build.zig of the dependency.
+    comptime build_zig: type,
+    args: anytype,
+) *Dependency {
+    const arena = b.allocator;
+    const build_root = b.build_root.join(arena, &.{relative_build_root}) catch @panic("OOM");
+    const name = arena.dupe(u8, relative_build_root) catch @panic("OOM");
+    for (name) |*byte| switch (byte.*) {
+        '/', '\\' => byte.* = '.',
+        else => continue,
+    };
+    return dependencyInner(b, name, build_root, build_zig, args);
+}
+
+pub fn dependencyInner(
     b: *Build,
     name: []const u8,
     build_root_string: []const u8,