diff --git a/plugins/build-env/pre-build b/plugins/build-env/pre-build
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..3343c357a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/build-env/pre-build
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eo pipefail; [[ $DOKKU_TRACE ]] && set -x
+
+APP="$1"; IMAGE="dokku/$APP"; BUILD_ENV=""
+
+[[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/BUILD_ENV" ]] && cat "$DOKKU_ROOT/BUILD_ENV" >> "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV" && rm "$DOKKU_ROOT/BUILD_ENV"
+
+[[ ! $(grep CURL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV") ]] && echo "export CURL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=5" >> "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV"
+[[ ! $(grep CURL_TIMEOUT "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV") ]] && echo "export CURL_TIMEOUT=30" >> "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV"
+
+if [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV" ]]; then
+  BUILD_ENV+=$(< "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV")
+fi
+if [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/ENV" ]]; then
+  BUILD_ENV+=" "
+  BUILD_ENV+=$(< "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/ENV")
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -z "$BUILD_ENV" ]]; then
+  echo "-----> Adding BUILD_ENV to build environment..."
+  # create build env files for use in buildpacks like this:
+  # https://github.com/niteoweb/heroku-buildpack-buildout/blob/5879fa3418f7d8e079f1aa5816ba1adde73f4948/bin/compile#L34
+  id=$(echo $BUILD_ENV |sed 's@export @@g'| docker run -i -a stdin $IMAGE /bin/bash -c "for ENV_VAR in `cat`; do echo \$ENV_VAR |sed 's@^\([^=]*\)=\(.*\)\$@echo \2 >/tmp/env/\1@g' >>/tmp/set_env.sh; done && mkdir -p /tmp/env && /bin/bash /tmp/set_env.sh")
+  test $(docker wait $id) -eq 0
+  docker commit $id $IMAGE > /dev/null
+
+  # create build env for 'old style' buildpacks and dokku plugins
+  id=$(echo "$BUILD_ENV" | docker run -i -a stdin $IMAGE /bin/bash -c "cat >> /app/.env")
+  test $(docker wait $id) -eq 0
+  docker commit $id $IMAGE > /dev/null
+fi