diff --git a/changes/101.feature.md b/changes/101.feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4dc2bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/101.feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+If the `XBUILD_PATH` environment variable is set, its contents are now prepended to the `PATH` used by `xbuild` when building for a target platform.
diff --git a/docs/en/reference/environment-variables.md b/docs/en/reference/environment-variables.md
index 30fadc3..8961bc7 100644
--- a/docs/en/reference/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/en/reference/environment-variables.md
@@ -17,3 +17,17 @@ darwin
 ```
 
 Clearing the variable, or setting it (case-insensitively) to `1` or `on`, leaves the cross-platform patches active.
+
+## `XBUILD_PATH`
+
+Additional directories to *prepend* to `PATH` when `xbuild` prepares the build environment for the target platform. Uses the same syntax as the platform's `PATH` variable.
+
+This variable is honored on all platforms, but it is most useful when building for iOS. When building for iOS, `xbuild` replaces `PATH` with a minimal, clean value so that no build-machine tools leak into the build, but some builds still need specific build-machine tools (e.g. `cmake` or `ninja`). Directories in `XBUILD_PATH` are added ahead of that clean `PATH`:
+
+```console
+(venv) $ XBUILD_PATH=/opt/homebrew/opt/cmake/bin xbuild --platform ios --arch arm64-iphonesimulator
+```
+
+Directories in `XBUILD_PATH` take precedence over the tools `xbuild` provides for the target platform. Point `XBUILD_PATH` at directories that contain only the specific tools you need, rather than at a general directory like `/opt/homebrew/bin`, which could shadow the target-platform compiler or Python interpreter.
+
+`XBUILD_PATH` only applies to builds performed by `xbuild`. It has no effect on a cross-platform environment that is activated and used directly.
diff --git a/docs/en/topics/how-it-works.md b/docs/en/topics/how-it-works.md
index 63b83ec..f994223 100644
--- a/docs/en/topics/how-it-works.md
+++ b/docs/en/topics/how-it-works.md
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ In addition to converting a virtual environment into a cross-platform environmen
 - **Android**: `CC`, `AR`, `AS`, `CXX`, `LD`, `NM`, `RANLIB`, `READELF`, `STRIP`, `CFLAGS`, `LDFLAGS`, `CXXFLAGS`, `CPU_COUNT`, and (if available) `PKG_CONFIG`/`PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR` are set by running the target Android Python build's own bundled `android.py env` command (which installs the exact required NDK version under `$ANDROID_HOME/ndk/` if it isn't already present). This requires `ANDROID_HOME` to already be set - see [Platform setup: Android](../how-to/platform-setup/android.md).
 - **iOS**: `PATH` is replaced with the cross-platform environment's own `bin/` directory, followed by the target-platform `Python.xcframework` slice's `bin/` directory (containing the `clang`/`ar`/`strip` shims for the target architecture), followed by a fixed, minimal set of system directories, ensuring no build-machine-native tools leak into the build.
 
+On all platforms, if the [`XBUILD_PATH`](../reference/environment-variables.md#xbuild_path) environment variable is set, its contents are prepended to `PATH`. This allows specific build-machine tools to be made available to the build, even on platforms (such as iOS) where `PATH` is otherwise replaced.
+
 Build-platform tools (e.g. Android's `android.py`, or the iOS testbed driver) are always run with `XBUILD_ENV=off`, so that they behave correctly even when `xbuild` or `xpython` is itself running inside a cross-platform environment.
 
 This preparation is `xbuild`-specific; it does not apply to a cross-platform environment created by `xvenv` and used directly outside of `xbuild`.
diff --git a/docs/spelling_wordlist b/docs/spelling_wordlist
index 9c526f4..db1195b 100644
--- a/docs/spelling_wordlist
+++ b/docs/spelling_wordlist
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ monkeypatching
 natively
 NDK
 pre
+prepended
 PyPI
 README
 SDK
diff --git a/src/xvenv/convert.py b/src/xvenv/convert.py
index ae762e6..b81a7a1 100644
--- a/src/xvenv/convert.py
+++ b/src/xvenv/convert.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import json
+import os
 import pprint
 import re
 import sys
@@ -361,6 +362,11 @@ def create(self, venv_path: Path, with_pip: bool = True):
     def prepare_env(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         """Prepare the environment variables needed to build for this cross environment.
 
+        If the `XBUILD_PATH` environment variable is set (and non-empty), it is
+        prepended to `PATH`. If the platform module provides a `PATH` (e.g., iOS,
+        which replaces `PATH` entirely), `XBUILD_PATH` is prepended to that value;
+        otherwise, it is prepended to the inherited `PATH`.
+
         :returns: A dict of environment variables to merge into `os.environ`
             for the duration of the build.
         :raises ValueError: if the platform module's own `prepare_env()`
@@ -369,7 +375,15 @@ def prepare_env(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         :raises NotImplementedError: for platforms that don't support
             environment preparation yet (currently: emscripten).
         """
-        return self.platform_module.prepare_env(self)
+        env = dict(self.platform_module.prepare_env(self))
+
+        if xbuild_path := os.environ.get("XBUILD_PATH"):
+            base_path = env.get("PATH", os.environ.get("PATH", ""))
+            env["PATH"] = os.pathsep.join(
+                part for part in [xbuild_path, base_path] if part
+            )
+
+        return env
 
     def packages_path(self, work_path: Path) -> Path:
         """Return the location, relative to the provided path, where the
diff --git a/tests/_xvenv/test_convert.py b/tests/_xvenv/test_convert.py
index 17c3c1f..454aecd 100644
--- a/tests/_xvenv/test_convert.py
+++ b/tests/_xvenv/test_convert.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import io
 import json
+import os
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest.mock import Mock
@@ -389,17 +390,58 @@ def test_config_missing_sysconfigdata_file(tmp_path):
         )
 
 
-def test_prepare_env_dispatches_to_platform_module(tmp_path, mock_config):
-    """`prepare_env()` delegates to the platform module."""
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("orig_path", "xbuild_path", "final_path"),
+    [
+        # XBUILD_PATH isn't defined
+        (
+            ["/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+            None,
+            ["/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+        ),
+        # XBUILD_PATH defined, but empty
+        (
+            ["/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+            "",
+            ["/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+        ),
+        # XBUILD_PATH with actual values
+        (
+            ["/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+            "/local/bin",
+            ["/local/bin", "/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+        ),
+        (
+            ["/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+            ["/other/bin", "/local/bin"],
+            ["/other/bin", "/local/bin", "/venv/bin", "/usr/bin"],
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_prepare_env(mock_config, orig_path, xbuild_path, final_path, monkeypatch):
+    """`prepare_env()` delegates to the platform module and handles `XBUILD_PATH`."""
+    if xbuild_path is None:
+        monkeypatch.delenv("XBUILD_PATH", raising=False)
+    else:
+        if isinstance(xbuild_path, list):
+            xbuild_path = os.pathsep.join(xbuild_path)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("XBUILD_PATH", xbuild_path)
+
     fake_platform_module = Mock()
-    fake_platform_module.prepare_env.return_value = {"CC": "fake-clang"}
+    fake_platform_module.prepare_env.return_value = {
+        "CC": "fake-clang",
+        "PATH": os.pathsep.join(orig_path),
+    }
 
     mock_config.platform_module = fake_platform_module
 
     result = mock_config.prepare_env()
 
     fake_platform_module.prepare_env.assert_called_once_with(mock_config)
-    assert result == {"CC": "fake-clang"}
+    assert result == {
+        "CC": "fake-clang",
+        "PATH": os.pathsep.join(final_path),
+    }
 
 
 def _fake_venv(venv_path, version):