diff --git a/third_party/systemlibs/BUILD.tpl b/third_party/systemlibs/BUILD.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/third_party/systemlibs/build_defs.bzl.tpl b/third_party/systemlibs/build_defs.bzl.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3faa46c5814
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/systemlibs/build_defs.bzl.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# -*- Python -*-
+"""Skylark macros for system libraries.
+"""
+
+SYSTEM_LIBS_ENABLED = %{syslibs_enabled}
+
+SYSTEM_LIBS_LIST = [
+%{syslibs_list}
+]
+
+
+def if_any_system_libs(a, b=[]):
+  """Conditional which evaluates to 'a' if any system libraries are configured."""
+  if SYSTEM_LIBS_ENABLED:
+    return a
+  else:
+    return b
+
+
+def if_system_lib(lib, a, b=[]):
+  """Conditional which evaluates to 'a' if we're using the system version of lib"""
+
+  if SYSTEM_LIBS_ENABLED and lib in SYSTEM_LIBS_LIST:
+    return a
+  else:
+    return b
+
+
+def if_not_system_lib(lib, a, b=[]):
+  """Conditional which evaluates to 'a' if we're using the system version of lib"""
+
+  return if_system_lib(lib, b, a)
diff --git a/third_party/systemlibs/syslibs_configure.bzl b/third_party/systemlibs/syslibs_configure.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d2da333e60d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/systemlibs/syslibs_configure.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+# -*- Python -*-
+"""Repository rule for system library autoconfiguration.
+
+`syslibs_configure` depends on the following environment variables:
+
+  * `TF_SYSTEM_LIBS`: list of third party dependencies that should use
+    the system version instead
+"""
+
+_TF_SYSTEM_LIBS="TF_SYSTEM_LIBS"
+
+VALID_LIBS=[
+    "astor_archive",
+    "com_googlesource_code_re2",
+    "curl",
+    "cython",
+    "flatbuffers",
+    "gif_archive",
+    "grpc",
+    "jemalloc",
+    "jpeg",
+    "lmdb",
+    "nasm",
+    "org_sqlite",
+    "pcre",
+    "png_archive",
+    "six_archive",
+    "snappy",
+    "swig",
+    "termcolor_archive",
+    "zlib_archive",
+]
+
+
+def auto_configure_fail(msg):
+  """Output failure message when syslibs configuration fails."""
+  red = "\033[0;31m"
+  no_color = "\033[0m"
+  fail("\n%sSystem Library Configuration Error:%s %s\n" % (red, no_color, msg))
+
+
+def _is_windows(repository_ctx):
+  """Returns true if the host operating system is windows."""
+  os_name = repository_ctx.os.name.lower()
+  if os_name.find("windows") != -1:
+    return True
+  return False
+
+
+def _enable_syslibs(repository_ctx):
+  s = repository_ctx.os.environ.get(_TF_SYSTEM_LIBS, '').strip()
+  if not _is_windows(repository_ctx) and s != None and s != '':
+    return True
+  return False
+
+
+def _get_system_lib_list(repository_ctx):
+  """Gets the list of deps that should use the system lib.
+
+  Args:
+    repository_ctx: The repository context.
+
+  Returns:
+    A string version of a python list
+  """
+  if _TF_SYSTEM_LIBS not in repository_ctx.os.environ:
+    return []
+
+  libenv = repository_ctx.os.environ[_TF_SYSTEM_LIBS].strip()
+  libs = []
+
+  for l in list(libenv.split(',')):
+    l = l.strip()
+    if l == "":
+      continue
+    if l not in VALID_LIBS:
+      auto_configure_fail("Invalid system lib set: %s" % l)
+      return []
+    libs.append(l)
+
+  return libs
+
+
+def _format_system_lib_list(repository_ctx):
+  """Formats the list of deps that should use the system lib.
+
+  Args:
+    repository_ctx: The repository context.
+
+  Returns:
+    A list of the names of deps that should use the system lib.
+  """
+  libs = _get_system_lib_list(repository_ctx)
+  ret = ''
+  for l in libs:
+    ret += "'%s',\n" % l
+
+  return ret
+
+
+def _tpl(repository_ctx, tpl, substitutions={}, out=None):
+  if not out:
+    out = tpl.replace(":", "")
+  repository_ctx.template(
+      out,
+      Label("//third_party/systemlibs%s.tpl" % tpl),
+      substitutions,
+      False)
+
+
+def _create_dummy_repository(repository_ctx):
+  """Creates the dummy repository to build with all bundled libraries."""
+
+  _tpl(repository_ctx, ":BUILD")
+  _tpl(repository_ctx, ":build_defs.bzl",
+    {
+      "%{syslibs_enabled}": 'False',
+      "%{syslibs_list}": '',
+    })
+
+
+def _create_local_repository(repository_ctx):
+  """Creates the repository to build with system libraries."""
+
+  _tpl(repository_ctx, ":BUILD")
+  _tpl(repository_ctx, ":build_defs.bzl",
+    {
+      "%{syslibs_enabled}": 'True',
+      "%{syslibs_list}": _format_system_lib_list(repository_ctx),
+    })
+
+
+def _syslibs_autoconf_impl(repository_ctx):
+  """Implementation of the syslibs_configure repository rule."""
+  if not _enable_syslibs(repository_ctx):
+    _create_dummy_repository(repository_ctx)
+  else:
+    _create_local_repository(repository_ctx)
+
+
+syslibs_configure = repository_rule(
+    implementation = _syslibs_autoconf_impl,
+    environ = [
+        _TF_SYSTEM_LIBS,
+    ],
+)
+
+"""Configures the build to link to system libraries
+instead of using bundled versions.
+
+Add the following to your WORKSPACE FILE:
+
+```python
+syslibs_configure(name = "local_config_syslibs")
+```
+
+Args:
+  name: A unique name for this workspace rule.
+"""