diff --git a/components/codetools/codecompletiontool.pas b/components/codetools/codecompletiontool.pas
index 7999caa2e9..323226d52d 100644
--- a/components/codetools/codecompletiontool.pas
+++ b/components/codetools/codecompletiontool.pas
@@ -8935,6 +8935,13 @@ begin
     {$ENDIF}
     exit(true);
   end;
+  if FindClassExternalNode(CodeCompleteClassNode)<>nil then begin
+    // external class has no implementations
+    {$IF defined(CTDEBUG) or defined(VerboseCreateMissingClassProcBodies)}
+    debugln(['TCodeCompletionCodeTool.CreateMissingClassProcBodies external ',CodeCompleteClassNode.DescAsString]);
+    {$ENDIF}
+    exit(true);
+  end;
   
   Result:=false;
   Beauty:=FSourceChangeCache.BeautifyCodeOptions;
diff --git a/components/codetools/linkscanner.pas b/components/codetools/linkscanner.pas
index 39c627b394..3842529c5f 100644
--- a/components/codetools/linkscanner.pas
+++ b/components/codetools/linkscanner.pas
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ type
     cmsDefault_unicodestring, { makes the default string type in $h+ mode unicodestring rather than
                                 ansistring; similarly, char becomes unicodechar rather than ansichar }
     cmsTypeHelpers,
-    cmsBlocks
+    cmsBlocks,
+    cmsExternalClass    { allow  class external [pkgname] name [symbol] }
     );
   TCompilerModeSwitches = set of TCompilerModeSwitch;
 const
@@ -797,7 +798,8 @@ const
     'FINALFIELDS',
     'UNICODESTRINGS',
     'TYPEHELPERS',
-    'BLOCKS'
+    'BLOCKS',
+    'EXTERNALCLASS'
     );
 
   // upper case
diff --git a/components/codetools/pascalparsertool.pas b/components/codetools/pascalparsertool.pas
index b6e0a6f9b6..52c7b4772c 100644
--- a/components/codetools/pascalparsertool.pas
+++ b/components/codetools/pascalparsertool.pas
@@ -4359,9 +4359,11 @@ begin
       end;
       if UpAtomIs('EXTERNAL') then begin
         if (ClassDesc in [ctnObjCClass,ctnObjCCategory])
+        or (cmsExternalClass in Scanner.CompilerModeSwitches)
         or Scanner.Values.IsDefined('CPUJVM') then begin
           // objcclass external [name '']
           // cpujvm: class external '' [name '']
+          // externalclass: class external [''] name ''
           CreateChildNode;
           CurNode.Desc:=ctnClassExternal;
           ReadNextAtom;
diff --git a/components/codetools/pascalreadertool.pas b/components/codetools/pascalreadertool.pas
index 21d6458128..6597e02303 100644
--- a/components/codetools/pascalreadertool.pas
+++ b/components/codetools/pascalreadertool.pas
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ type
     function IsClassNode(Node: TCodeTreeNode): boolean; // class, not object
     function FindInheritanceNode(ClassNode: TCodeTreeNode): TCodeTreeNode;
     function FindHelperForNode(HelperNode: TCodeTreeNode): TCodeTreeNode;
+    function FindClassExternalNode(ClassNode: TCodeTreeNode): TCodeTreeNode;
     function IdentNodeIsInVisibleClassSection(Node: TCodeTreeNode; Visibility: TClassSectionVisibility): Boolean;
 
     // records
@@ -3066,6 +3067,19 @@ begin
     Result:=nil;
 end;
 
+function TPascalReaderTool.FindClassExternalNode(ClassNode: TCodeTreeNode
+  ): TCodeTreeNode;
+begin
+  if ClassNode=nil then exit;
+  Result:=ClassNode.FirstChild;
+  while (Result<>nil) do
+    begin
+    if Result.Desc=ctnClassExternal then exit;
+    if Result.Desc in AllClassBaseSections then exit(nil);
+    Result:=Result.NextBrother;
+    end;
+end;
+
 function TPascalReaderTool.FindTypeOfForwardNode(TypeNode: TCodeTreeNode
   ): TCodeTreeNode;