diff --git a/tools/amalgamate/CHANGES.md b/tools/amalgamate/CHANGES.md
index 728b93319..684a62148 100644
--- a/tools/amalgamate/CHANGES.md
+++ b/tools/amalgamate/CHANGES.md
@@ -8,3 +8,6 @@ The following changes have been made to the code with respect to <https://github
   - membership check
   - made function from `_is_within`
   - removed unused variable `actual_path`
+- Added the optional config key `external`: include paths listed there are kept as
+  `#include` directives instead of being inlined (the first directive per path; the
+  repeated ones are commented out).
diff --git a/tools/amalgamate/README.md b/tools/amalgamate/README.md
index 8e088c4d2..33ea9687b 100644
--- a/tools/amalgamate/README.md
+++ b/tools/amalgamate/README.md
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ Python v.2.7.0 or higher is required.
    amalgamation. Have a look at `test/source.c.json` and `test/include.h.json`
    to see two examples.
 
+   The optional `external` list names include paths that are kept as `#include`
+   directives instead of being inlined, e.g. `["nlohmann/json.hpp"]` for a header
+   that includes another amalgamated header. Only the first directive for each
+   of these paths is kept; the repeated ones are commented out.
+
  * The `-s, --source` option should specify the path to the source directory.
    This is useful for supporting separate source and build directories.
 
diff --git a/tools/amalgamate/amalgamate.py b/tools/amalgamate/amalgamate.py
index 0aed7c901..bdfce5fac 100755
--- a/tools/amalgamate/amalgamate.py
+++ b/tools/amalgamate/amalgamate.py
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ class Amalgamation(object):
         return None
 
     def __init__(self, args):
+        # include paths that are kept as #include directives instead of
+        # being inlined (e.g. a header amalgamated on its own)
+        self.external = []
+        self.included_external = []
         with open(args.config, 'r') as f:
             config = json.loads(f.read())
             for key in config:
@@ -220,11 +224,14 @@ class TranslationUnit(object):
         while include_match:
             if not _is_within(include_match, skippable_contexts):
                 include_path = include_match.group("path")
-                search_same_dir = include_match.group(1) == '"'
-                found_included_path = self.amalgamation.find_included_file(
-                    include_path, self.file_dir if search_same_dir else None)
-                if found_included_path:
-                    includes.append((include_match, found_included_path))
+                if include_path in self.amalgamation.external:
+                    includes.append((include_match, None))
+                else:
+                    search_same_dir = include_match.group(1) == '"'
+                    found_included_path = self.amalgamation.find_included_file(
+                        include_path, self.file_dir if search_same_dir else None)
+                    if found_included_path:
+                        includes.append((include_match, found_included_path))
 
             include_match = self.include_pattern.search(self.content,
                                                         include_match.end())
@@ -235,6 +242,17 @@ class TranslationUnit(object):
         for include in includes:
             include_match, found_included_path = include
             tmp_content += self.content[prev_end:include_match.start()]
+            if found_included_path is None:
+                # an external header: keep the first directive and comment
+                # out the repeated ones
+                include_path = include_match.group("path")
+                if include_path in self.amalgamation.included_external:
+                    tmp_content += "// {0}".format(include_match.group(0))
+                else:
+                    self.amalgamation.included_external.append(include_path)
+                    tmp_content += include_match.group(0)
+                prev_end = include_match.end()
+                continue
             tmp_content += "// {0}\n".format(include_match.group(0))
             if found_included_path not in self.amalgamation.included_files:
                 t = TranslationUnit(found_included_path, self.amalgamation, False)
diff --git a/tools/amalgamate/config_json_view.json b/tools/amalgamate/config_json_view.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd25df087
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/amalgamate/config_json_view.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+	"project": "JSON for Modern C++",
+	"target": "single_include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp",
+	"sources": [
+		"include/nlohmann/json_view.hpp"
+	],
+	"include_paths": ["include"],
+	"external": ["nlohmann/json.hpp"]
+}