diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index c52265e3..43cc76d0 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -43,3 +43,9 @@
 [submodule "Vulkan-Loader"]
 	path = Vulkan-Loader
 	url = https://github.com/KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Loader
+[submodule "gst-libav"]
+	path = gst-libav
+	url = https://github.com/GStreamer/gst-libav
+[submodule "ffmpeg"]
+	path = ffmpeg
+	url = https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 33061cf2..b9158ff0 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ include $(SRC)/make/rules-common.mk
 include $(SRC)/make/rules-meson.mk
 include $(SRC)/make/rules-cmake.mk
 include $(SRC)/make/rules-autoconf.mk
+include $(SRC)/make/rules-configure.mk
 include $(SRC)/make/rules-winemaker.mk
 include $(SRC)/make/rules-cargo.mk
 
@@ -351,7 +352,7 @@ $(DIST_FONTS): fonts
 ALL_TARGETS += dist
 GOAL_TARGETS += dist
 
-dist_prefix: wine gst_good
+dist_prefix: wine gst_good gst_libav
 	find $(DST_LIBDIR32)/wine -type f -execdir chmod a-w '{}' '+'
 	find $(DST_LIBDIR64)/wine -type f -execdir chmod a-w '{}' '+'
 	rm -rf $(abspath $(DIST_PREFIX))
@@ -491,6 +492,37 @@ $(eval $(call rules-source,gst_good,$(SRCDIR)/gst-plugins-good))
 $(eval $(call rules-meson,gst_good,32))
 $(eval $(call rules-meson,gst_good,64))
 
+##
+## FFmpeg
+##
+
+FFMPEG_CONFIGURE_ARGS := \
+	--enable-shared \
+	--disable-static \
+	--disable-everything \
+	--disable-programs \
+	--disable-doc \
+
+$(eval $(call rules-source,ffmpeg,$(SRCDIR)/ffmpeg))
+$(eval $(call rules-configure,ffmpeg,32))
+$(eval $(call rules-configure,ffmpeg,64))
+
+## Only use ffmpeg to build gst-libav; we don't ship it.
+$(OBJ)/.ffmpeg-dist32:
+	touch $@
+$(OBJ)/.ffmpeg-dist64:
+	touch $@
+
+##
+## gst-libav
+##
+
+GST_LIBAV_DEPENDS = gst_orc gstreamer gst_base ffmpeg
+
+$(eval $(call rules-source,gst_libav,$(SRCDIR)/gst-libav))
+$(eval $(call rules-meson,gst_libav,32))
+$(eval $(call rules-meson,gst_libav,64))
+
 
 ##
 ## Vulkan-Headers
diff --git a/ffmpeg b/ffmpeg
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..a77521cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ffmpeg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit a77521cd5d27e955b16e8097eecefc779ffdcb6d
diff --git a/gst-libav b/gst-libav
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..e896aabe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gst-libav
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit e896aabe3c3d278510fb567712c4a55ed0eae075
diff --git a/make/rules-configure.mk b/make/rules-configure.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d04a3c53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make/rules-configure.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# parameters:
+#   $(1): lowercase package name
+#   $(2): uppercase package name
+#   $(3): 32/64, build type
+#   $(4): CROSS/<empty>, cross compile
+#
+define create-rules-configure
+$(call create-rules-common,$(1),$(2),$(3),$(4))
+
+ifeq ($(CONTAINER),1)
+$$(OBJ)/.$(1)-configure$(3):
+	@echo ":: configuring $(3)bit $(1)..." >&2
+
+	cd "$$($(2)_OBJ$(3))" && env $$($(2)_ENV$(3)) \
+	$$($(2)_SRC)/configure $(--quiet?) \
+	    --cross-prefix=$$(TARGET_$(3))- \
+	    --arch=$(CONFIGURE_ARCH$(3)) \
+	    --target-os=linux \
+	    --prefix="$$($(2)_DST$(3))" \
+	    --libdir="$$($(2)_DST$(3))/lib$(subst 32,,$(3))" \
+	    $$($(2)_CONFIGURE_ARGS) \
+	    $$($(2)_CONFIGURE_ARGS$(3))
+
+	touch $$@
+
+$$(OBJ)/.$(1)-build$(3):
+	@echo ":: building $(3)bit $(1)..." >&2
+	cd "$$($(2)_OBJ$(3))" && env $$($(2)_ENV$(3)) \
+	$$(MAKE)
+	cd "$$($(2)_OBJ$(3))" && env $$($(2)_ENV$(3)) \
+	$$(MAKE) install
+	touch $$@
+endif
+endef
+
+CONFIGURE_ARCH32 = x86
+CONFIGURE_ARCH64 = x86_64
+
+rules-configure = $(call create-rules-configure,$(1),$(call toupper,$(1)),$(2),$(3))