diff --git a/Extension/c_cpp_properties.schema.json b/Extension/c_cpp_properties.schema.json
index 7e9c6d196b..723c107ee4 100644
--- a/Extension/c_cpp_properties.schema.json
+++ b/Extension/c_cpp_properties.schema.json
@@ -142,6 +142,16 @@
                             }
                         },
                         "additionalProperties": false
+                    },
+                    "customConfigurationVariables": {
+                        "type": "object",
+                        "description": "Custom variables that can be queried through the command ${cpptools:activeConfigCustomVariable} to use for the input variables in launch.json.",
+                        "patternProperties": {
+                            "(^.+$)": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "additionalProperties": false
                     }
                 },
                 "additionalProperties": false
diff --git a/Extension/package.json b/Extension/package.json
index 619f0ae823..d28b558a43 100644
--- a/Extension/package.json
+++ b/Extension/package.json
@@ -470,6 +470,20 @@
           "description": "%c_cpp.configuration.default.systemIncludePath.description%",
           "scope": "machine-overridable"
         },
+        "C_Cpp.default.customConfigurationVariables": {
+          "type": [
+            "object",
+            "null"
+          ],
+          "default": null,
+          "patternProperties": {
+            "(^.+$)": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "description": "%c_cpp.configuration.default.customConfigurationVariables.description%",
+          "scope": "machine-overridable"
+        },
         "C_Cpp.default.enableConfigurationSquiggles": {
           "type": "boolean",
           "default": true,
diff --git a/Extension/package.nls.json b/Extension/package.nls.json
index d7b17c9a74..3f6a546f1d 100644
--- a/Extension/package.nls.json
+++ b/Extension/package.nls.json
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
     "c_cpp.configuration.default.browse.limitSymbolsToIncludedHeaders.description": "The value to use in a configuration if \"browse.limitSymbolsToIncludedHeaders\" is either not specified or set to \"${default}\".",
     "c_cpp.configuration.default.systemIncludePath.description": "The value to use for the system include path. If set, it overrides the system include path acquired via \"compilerPath\" and \"compileCommands\" settings.",
     "c_cpp.configuration.default.enableConfigurationSquiggles.description": "Controls whether the extension will report errors detected in c_cpp_properties.json.",
+    "c_cpp.configuration.default.customConfigurationVariables.description": "The value to use in a configuration if \"customConfigurationVariables\" is not set, or the values to insert if \"${default}\" is present as a key in \"customConfigurationVariables\".",
     "c_cpp.configuration.updateChannel.description": "Set to \"Insiders\" to automatically download and install the latest Insiders builds of the extension, which include upcoming features and bug fixes.",
     "c_cpp.configuration.experimentalFeatures.description": "Controls whether \"experimental\" features are usable.",
     "c_cpp.configuration.suggestSnippets.description": "If true, snippets are provided by the language server.",
diff --git a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/client.ts b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/client.ts
index 4a6acacb55..bf21d5cf66 100644
--- a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/client.ts
+++ b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/client.ts
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ export interface Client {
     toggleReferenceResultsView(): void;
     setCurrentConfigName(configurationName: string): Thenable<void>;
     getCurrentConfigName(): Thenable<string | undefined>;
+    getCurrentConfigCustomVariable(variableName: string): Thenable<string>;
     getVcpkgInstalled(): Thenable<boolean>;
     getVcpkgEnabled(): Thenable<boolean>;
     getCurrentCompilerPathAndArgs(): Thenable<util.CompilerPathAndArgs | undefined>;
@@ -1778,6 +1779,10 @@ export class DefaultClient implements Client {
         return this.queueTask(() => Promise.resolve(this.configuration.CurrentConfiguration?.name));
     }
 
+    public getCurrentConfigCustomVariable(variableName: string): Thenable<string> {
+        return this.queueTask(() => Promise.resolve(this.configuration.CurrentConfiguration?.customConfigurationVariables?.[variableName] || ''));
+    }
+
     public setCurrentConfigName(configurationName: string): Thenable<void> {
         return this.queueTask(() => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
             let configurations: configs.Configuration[] = this.configuration.Configurations || [];
@@ -2658,6 +2663,7 @@ class NullClient implements Client {
     toggleReferenceResultsView(): void {}
     setCurrentConfigName(configurationName: string): Thenable<void> { return Promise.resolve(); }
     getCurrentConfigName(): Thenable<string> { return Promise.resolve(""); }
+    getCurrentConfigCustomVariable(variableName: string): Thenable<string> { return Promise.resolve(""); }
     getVcpkgInstalled(): Thenable<boolean> { return Promise.resolve(false); }
     getVcpkgEnabled(): Thenable<boolean> { return Promise.resolve(false); }
     getCurrentCompilerPathAndArgs(): Thenable<util.CompilerPathAndArgs | undefined> { return Promise.resolve(undefined); }
diff --git a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/configurations.ts b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/configurations.ts
index bb4460026a..06f805ea02 100644
--- a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/configurations.ts
+++ b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/configurations.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ export interface Configuration {
     forcedInclude?: string[];
     configurationProvider?: string;
     browse?: Browse;
+    customConfigurationVariables?: {[key: string]: string};
 }
 
 export interface ConfigurationErrors {
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ export class CppProperties {
     private vcpkgIncludes: string[] = [];
     private vcpkgPathReady: boolean = false;
     private defaultIntelliSenseMode?: string;
+    private defaultCustomConfigurationVariables?: { [key: string]: string };
     private readonly configurationGlobPattern: string = "c_cpp_properties.json";
     private disposables: vscode.Disposable[] = [];
     private configurationsChanged = new vscode.EventEmitter<Configuration[]>();
@@ -328,6 +330,9 @@ export class CppProperties {
         if (isUnset(settings.defaultIntelliSenseMode) || settings.defaultIntelliSenseMode === "") {
             configuration.intelliSenseMode = this.defaultIntelliSenseMode;
         }
+        if (isUnset(settings.defaultCustomConfigurationVariables) || settings.defaultCustomConfigurationVariables === {}) {
+            configuration.customConfigurationVariables = this.defaultCustomConfigurationVariables;
+        }
     }
 
     private get ExtendedEnvironment(): Environment {
@@ -527,6 +532,25 @@ export class CppProperties {
         return result;
     }
 
+    private resolveDefaultsDictionary(entries: { [key: string] : string }, defaultValue: { [key: string] : string } | undefined, env: Environment): { [key: string] : string } {
+        let result: { [key: string] : string } = {};
+        for (const property in entries) {
+            if (property === "${default}") {
+                if (defaultValue) {
+                    for (const defaultProperty in defaultValue) {
+                        if (!(defaultProperty in entries))
+                        {
+                            result[defaultProperty] = util.resolveVariables(defaultValue[defaultProperty], env);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                result[property] = util.resolveVariables(entries[property], env);
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
     private resolveAndSplit(paths: string[] | undefined, defaultValue: string[] | undefined, env: Environment): string[] {
         let result: string[] = [];
         if (paths) {
@@ -572,6 +596,16 @@ export class CppProperties {
         return util.resolveVariables(property, env);
     }
 
+    private updateConfigurationStringDictionary(property: { [key: string]: string } | undefined, defaultValue: { [key: string]: string } | undefined, env: Environment): { [key: string]: string } | undefined {
+        if (!property || property === {}) {
+            property = defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (!property || property === {}) {
+            return undefined;
+        }
+        return this.resolveDefaultsDictionary(property, defaultValue, env);
+    }
+
     private updateServerOnFolderSettingsChange(): void {
         if (!this.configurationJson) {
             return;
@@ -592,6 +626,7 @@ export class CppProperties {
             configuration.cStandard = this.updateConfigurationString(configuration.cStandard, settings.defaultCStandard, env);
             configuration.cppStandard = this.updateConfigurationString(configuration.cppStandard, settings.defaultCppStandard, env);
             configuration.intelliSenseMode = this.updateConfigurationString(configuration.intelliSenseMode, settings.defaultIntelliSenseMode, env);
+            configuration.customConfigurationVariables = this.updateConfigurationStringDictionary(configuration.customConfigurationVariables, settings.defaultCustomConfigurationVariables, env);
             configuration.configurationProvider = this.updateConfigurationString(configuration.configurationProvider, settings.defaultConfigurationProvider, env);
 
             if (!configuration.browse) {
diff --git a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/extension.ts b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/extension.ts
index a273222b7f..2e06d811e5 100644
--- a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/extension.ts
+++ b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/extension.ts
@@ -905,6 +905,7 @@ export function registerCommands(): void {
     disposables.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('C_Cpp.VcpkgClipboardInstallSuggested', onVcpkgClipboardInstallSuggested));
     disposables.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('C_Cpp.VcpkgOnlineHelpSuggested', onVcpkgOnlineHelpSuggested));
     disposables.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('cpptools.activeConfigName', onGetActiveConfigName));
+    disposables.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('cpptools.activeConfigCustomVariable', onGetActiveConfigCustomVariable));
     disposables.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('cpptools.setActiveConfigName', onSetActiveConfigName));
     getTemporaryCommandRegistrarInstance().executeDelayedCommands();
 }
@@ -1167,6 +1168,10 @@ function onGetActiveConfigName(): Thenable<string | undefined> {
     return clients.ActiveClient.getCurrentConfigName();
 }
 
+function onGetActiveConfigCustomVariable(variableName: string): Thenable<string> {
+    return clients.ActiveClient.getCurrentConfigCustomVariable(variableName);
+}
+
 function onLogDiagnostics(): void {
     onActivationEvent();
     clients.ActiveClient.logDiagnostics();
diff --git a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/settings.ts b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/settings.ts
index 5889b6f8ba..a73b192908 100644
--- a/Extension/src/LanguageServer/settings.ts
+++ b/Extension/src/LanguageServer/settings.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ export class CppSettings extends Settings {
     public get defaultLimitSymbolsToIncludedHeaders(): boolean | undefined { return super.Section.get<boolean>("default.browse.limitSymbolsToIncludedHeaders"); }
     public get defaultSystemIncludePath(): string[] | undefined { return super.Section.get<string[]>("default.systemIncludePath"); }
     public get defaultEnableConfigurationSquiggles(): boolean | undefined { return super.Section.get<boolean>("default.enableConfigurationSquiggles"); }
+    public get defaultCustomConfigurationVariables(): { [key: string]: string } | undefined { return super.Section.get< { [key: string]: string } >("default.customConfigurationVariables"); }
     public get useBacktickCommandSubstitution(): boolean | undefined { return super.Section.get<boolean>("debugger.useBacktickCommandSubstitution"); }
     public get codeFolding(): boolean { return super.Section.get<string>("codeFolding") === "Enabled"; }