diff --git a/src/compiler/build/build-ctx.ts b/src/compiler/build/build-ctx.ts
index 9da4d95b95f..0567480da71 100644
--- a/src/compiler/build/build-ctx.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/build/build-ctx.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ export class BuildContext implements d.BuildCtx {
   indexBuildCount = 0;
   indexDoc: Document = undefined;
   isRebuild = false;
+  isExternal: (id: string, importer: string, isResolved: boolean) => boolean;
   moduleFiles: d.Module[] = [];
   outputs: d.BuildOutput[] = [];
   packageJson: d.PackageJsonData = {};
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ export class BuildContext implements d.BuildCtx {
     this.buildId = ++this.compilerCtx.activeBuildId;
 
     this.debug = config.logger.debug.bind(config.logger);
+    this.isExternal = getIdMatcher(config.rollupConfig?.inputOptions?.external);
   }
 
   start() {
@@ -215,6 +217,46 @@ export const getBuildTimestamp = () => {
   return timestamp;
 };
 
+export function ensureArray<T>(items: (T | false | null | undefined)[] | T | false | null | undefined): T[] {
+  if (Array.isArray(items)) {
+    return items.filter(Boolean) as T[];
+  }
+  if (items) {
+    return [items];
+  }
+  return [];
+}
+
+const getIdMatcher = <T extends Array<any>>(
+  option:
+    | undefined
+    | boolean
+    | string
+    | RegExp
+    | (string | RegExp)[]
+    | ((id: string, ...parameters: T) => boolean | null | void)
+): ((id: string, ...parameters: T) => boolean) => {
+  if (option === true) {
+    return () => true;
+  }
+  if (typeof option === 'function') {
+    return (id, ...parameters) => (!id.startsWith('\0') && option(id, ...parameters)) || false;
+  }
+  if (option) {
+    const ids = new Set<string>();
+    const matchers: RegExp[] = [];
+    for (const value of ensureArray(option)) {
+      if (value instanceof RegExp) {
+        matchers.push(value);
+      } else {
+        ids.add(value);
+      }
+    }
+    return (id: string, ..._arguments) => ids.has(id) || matchers.some((matcher) => matcher.test(id));
+  }
+  return () => false;
+};
+
 const getProgress = (completedTasks: d.BuildTask[]) => {
   let progressIndex = 0;
   const taskKeys = Object.keys(ProgressTask);
diff --git a/src/compiler/bundle/bundle-output.ts b/src/compiler/bundle/bundle-output.ts
index 85b2d08e556..423e3e211e2 100644
--- a/src/compiler/bundle/bundle-output.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/bundle/bundle-output.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ export const getRollupOptions = (
     onwarn: createOnWarnFn(buildCtx.diagnostics),
 
     cache: compilerCtx.rollupCache.get(bundleOpts.id),
+
+    external: config.rollupConfig?.inputOptions?.external,
   };
 
   return rollupOptions;
diff --git a/src/compiler/config/test/validate-rollup-config.spec.ts b/src/compiler/config/test/validate-rollup-config.spec.ts
index 3040a929f01..1064d2aa4ed 100644
--- a/src/compiler/config/test/validate-rollup-config.spec.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/config/test/validate-rollup-config.spec.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ describe('validateStats', () => {
     config.rollupConfig = {
       inputOptions: {
         context: 'window',
+        external: 'external_symbol',
         notAnOption: {},
       },
       outputOptions: {
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ describe('validateStats', () => {
       rollupConfig: {
         inputOptions: {
           context: 'window',
+          external: 'external_symbol',
         },
         outputOptions: {
           globals: {
diff --git a/src/compiler/config/validate-rollup-config.ts b/src/compiler/config/validate-rollup-config.ts
index e0ac9ab361d..96102dc90d2 100644
--- a/src/compiler/config/validate-rollup-config.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/config/validate-rollup-config.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const getCleanRollupConfig = (rollupConfig: d.RollupConfig): d.RollupConfig => {
   if (rollupConfig.inputOptions && isObject(rollupConfig.inputOptions)) {
     cleanRollupConfig = {
       ...cleanRollupConfig,
-      inputOptions: pluck(rollupConfig.inputOptions, ['context', 'moduleContext', 'treeshake']),
+      inputOptions: pluck(rollupConfig.inputOptions, ['context', 'moduleContext', 'treeshake', 'external']),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/transformers/collections/parse-collection-manifest.ts b/src/compiler/transformers/collections/parse-collection-manifest.ts
index 0e902227d4c..7de8ae968d1 100644
--- a/src/compiler/transformers/collections/parse-collection-manifest.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/transformers/collections/parse-collection-manifest.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ export const parseCollectionManifest = (
 
   const compilerVersion: d.CollectionCompilerVersion = collectionManifest.compiler || ({} as any);
 
+  const isExternal = buildCtx.isExternal(collectionName, 'collection', true);
+
   const collection: d.CollectionCompilerMeta = {
     collectionName: collectionName,
     moduleId: collectionName,
@@ -27,10 +29,13 @@ export const parseCollectionManifest = (
       typescriptVersion: compilerVersion.typescriptVersion || '',
     },
     bundles: parseBundles(collectionManifest),
+    isExternal,
   };
 
-  parseGlobal(config, compilerCtx, buildCtx, collectionDir, collectionManifest, collection);
-  parseCollectionComponents(config, compilerCtx, buildCtx, collectionDir, collectionManifest, collection);
+  if (!isExternal) {
+    parseGlobal(config, compilerCtx, buildCtx, collectionDir, collectionManifest, collection);
+    parseCollectionComponents(config, compilerCtx, buildCtx, collectionDir, collectionManifest, collection);
+  }
 
   return collection;
 };
diff --git a/src/declarations/stencil-private.ts b/src/declarations/stencil-private.ts
index e80ac8c6401..bce0166fd1c 100644
--- a/src/declarations/stencil-private.ts
+++ b/src/declarations/stencil-private.ts
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ export interface BuildCtx {
   indexBuildCount: number;
   indexDoc: Document;
   isRebuild: boolean;
+  isExternal: (id: string, importer: string, isResolved: boolean) => boolean;
   moduleFiles: Module[];
   packageJson: PackageJsonData;
   pendingCopyTasks: Promise<CopyResults>[];
@@ -474,6 +475,7 @@ export interface CollectionCompilerMeta {
   bundles?: {
     components: string[];
   }[];
+  isExternal?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface CollectionCompilerVersion {
diff --git a/src/declarations/stencil-public-compiler.ts b/src/declarations/stencil-public-compiler.ts
index 28bb1e78dc6..4499a2e7997 100644
--- a/src/declarations/stencil-public-compiler.ts
+++ b/src/declarations/stencil-public-compiler.ts
@@ -1494,6 +1494,11 @@ export interface RollupInputOptions {
   context?: string;
   moduleContext?: ((id: string) => string) | { [id: string]: string };
   treeshake?: boolean;
+  external?:
+    | (string | RegExp)[]
+    | string
+    | RegExp
+    | ((source: string, importer: string | undefined, isResolved: boolean) => boolean | null | undefined);
 }
 
 export interface RollupOutputOptions {