diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index 98a8177..56f5bba 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@
 
 http_archive(
     name = "bazel_gazelle",
+    patch_args = ["-p1"],
+    patches = [
+        "//third_party/gazelle:add-prepatching.patch",
+    ],
     sha256 = "bfd86b3cbe855d6c16c6fce60d76bd51f5c8dbc9cfcaef7a2bb5c1aafd0710e8",
     urls = [
         "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/bazel-gazelle/releases/download/v0.21.0/bazel-gazelle-v0.21.0.tar.gz",
diff --git a/build/fietsje/dependency.go b/build/fietsje/dependency.go
index e12e272..8644bc4 100644
--- a/build/fietsje/dependency.go
+++ b/build/fietsje/dependency.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 	forceBazelGeneration bool
 	buildTags            []string
 	patches              []string
+	prePatches           []string
 	buildExtraArgs       []string
 	// replace is an importpath that this dependency will replace. If this is set, this dependency will be visible
 	// in the build as 'importpath', but downloaded at 'replace'/'version'. This might be slighly confusing, but
diff --git a/build/fietsje/planner.go b/build/fietsje/planner.go
index 3aaefef..a609884 100644
--- a/build/fietsje/planner.go
+++ b/build/fietsje/planner.go
@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@
 	}
 }
 
+// prePatches applies patches in affected dependencies before BUILD file generation.
+func prePatches(patches ...string) buildOpt {
+	return func(d *dependency) {
+		d.prePatches = patches
+	}
+}
+
 func forceBazelGeneration(d *dependency) {
 	d.forceBazelGeneration = true
 }
diff --git a/build/fietsje/render.go b/build/fietsje/render.go
index bc5d732..16fd089 100644
--- a/build/fietsje/render.go
+++ b/build/fietsje/render.go
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@
 				fmt.Fprintf(w, "            %q,\n", "//third_party/go/patches:"+patch)
 			}
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "        ],\n")
+		}
+		if d.prePatches != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(w, "        pre_patches = [\n")
+			for _, patch := range d.prePatches {
+				fmt.Fprintf(w, "            %q,\n", "//third_party/go/patches:"+patch)
+			}
+			fmt.Fprintf(w, "        ],\n")
+		}
+		if d.patches != nil || d.prePatches != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "        patch_args = [%q],\n", "-p1")
 		}
 		if d.buildExtraArgs != nil {
diff --git a/third_party/gazelle/BUILD b/third_party/gazelle/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/gazelle/BUILD
diff --git a/third_party/gazelle/add-prepatching.patch b/third_party/gazelle/add-prepatching.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edbc94c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/gazelle/add-prepatching.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+Copyright 2020 The Monogon Project Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+  http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+
+
+From db55421f284253c06561a4df18bca262999962ce Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Lorenz Brun <lorenz@nexantic.com>
+Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:46:56 +0200
+Subject: [PATCH] Add support for prepatching
+
+---
+ internal/go_repository.bzl | 18 +++++++++++++-----
+ 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/internal/go_repository.bzl b/internal/go_repository.bzl
+index 51a7317..86899bd 100644
+--- a/internal/go_repository.bzl
++++ b/internal/go_repository.bzl
+@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ def _go_repository_impl(ctx):
+         if result.stderr:
+             print("fetch_repo: " + result.stderr)
+ 
++    patch(ctx, True)
++
+     # Repositories are fetched. Determine if build file generation is needed.
+     build_file_names = ctx.attr.build_file_name.split(",")
+     existing_build_file = ""
+@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ def _go_repository_impl(ctx):
+             "-repo_root",
+             ctx.path(""),
+             "-repo_config",
+-            ctx.path(ctx.attr.build_config)
++            ctx.path(ctx.attr.build_config),
+         ]
+         if ctx.attr.version:
+             cmd.append("-go_repository_module_mode")
+@@ -247,9 +249,13 @@ go_repository = repository_rule(
+             ],
+         ),
+         "build_extra_args": attr.string_list(),
+-        "build_config": attr.label(default= "@bazel_gazelle_go_repository_config//:WORKSPACE"),
++        "build_config": attr.label(default = "@bazel_gazelle_go_repository_config//:WORKSPACE"),
+         "build_directives": attr.string_list(default = []),
+ 
++        # Patches to apply before running gazelle.
++        "pre_patches": attr.label_list(),
++        "pre_patch_cmds": attr.string_list(default = []),
++
+         # Patches to apply after running gazelle.
+         "patches": attr.label_list(),
+         "patch_tool": attr.string(default = "patch"),
+@@ -260,10 +266,11 @@ go_repository = repository_rule(
+ """See repository.rst#go-repository for full documentation."""
+ 
+ # Copied from @bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:utils.bzl
+-def patch(ctx):
++def patch(ctx, pre_mode = False):
+     """Implementation of patching an already extracted repository"""
+     bash_exe = ctx.os.environ["BAZEL_SH"] if "BAZEL_SH" in ctx.os.environ else "bash"
+-    for patchfile in ctx.attr.patches:
++    patches = ctx.attr.patches if not pre_mode else ctx.attr.pre_patches
++    for patchfile in patches:
+         command = "{patchtool} {patch_args} < {patchfile}".format(
+             patchtool = ctx.attr.patch_tool,
+             patchfile = ctx.path(patchfile),
+@@ -276,7 +283,8 @@ def patch(ctx):
+         if st.return_code:
+             fail("Error applying patch %s:\n%s%s" %
+                  (str(patchfile), st.stderr, st.stdout))
+-    for cmd in ctx.attr.patch_cmds:
++    patch_cmds = ctx.attr.patch_cmds if not pre_mode else ctx.attr.pre_patch_cmds
++    for cmd in patch_cmds:
+         st = ctx.execute([bash_exe, "-c", cmd])
+         if st.return_code:
+             fail("Error applying patch command %s:\n%s%s" %
+-- 
+2.25.1
+