diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index ce0ff20694..f459135156 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ matrix:
     - mkdir -p ghdl/build-llvm
     - curl -fsSL https://codeload.github.com/ghdl/ghdl/tar.gz/master | tar xzf - -C ghdl --strip-components=1
     - cd ghdl/build-llvm
-    - ../configure --prefix=../../install-ghdl-llvm/ --with-llvm-config=llvm-config-3.5
+    - ../configure --default-pic --prefix=../../install-ghdl-llvm/ --with-llvm-config=llvm-config-3.5
     - make
     - make install
     - cd ../../
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/run.py b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/run.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..84cca6a2b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/run.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+# You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2014-2019, Lars Asplund lars.anders.asplund@gmail.com
+
+
+from vunit import VUnit
+from sys import argv
+from os import popen
+from os.path import join, dirname
+
+
+src_path = join(dirname(__file__), "src")
+
+ui = VUnit.from_argv(vhdl_standard="2008", external=[True])
+
+lib = ui.add_library("lib")
+lib.add_source_files(join(src_path, "test", "*.vhd"))
+
+c_obj = join(src_path, 'test', 'main.o')
+
+print(popen(' '.join([
+    'gcc -fPIC -rdynamic',
+    '-c', join(src_path, '**', 'main.c'),
+    '-o', c_obj
+])).read())
+
+ui.set_sim_option("ghdl.elab_flags", ['-Wl,' + c_obj])
+
+ui.main()
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/grt.ver b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/grt.ver
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58d63945cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/grt.ver
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+VHPI {
+  global:
+main;
+read_char;
+write_char;
+read_integer;
+write_integer;
+set_string_ptr;
+get_string_ptr;
+set_intvec_ptr;
+get_intvec_ptr;
+  local:
+	*;
+};
+
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/test/main.c b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/test/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5592b884f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/test/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+
+extern int ghdl_main (int argc, char **argv);
+
+uint8_t *D[1];
+char is_allocated[1] = {0};
+const uint32_t length = 5;
+
+void set_string_ptr(uint8_t id, uint8_t *p) {
+  //printf("C set_string_ptr(%d, %p)\n", id, p);
+  D[id] = p;
+  is_allocated[id] = 1;
+}
+
+uintptr_t get_string_ptr(uint8_t id) {
+  //printf("C get_string_ptr(%d): %p\n", id, D[id]);
+  return (uintptr_t)D[id];
+}
+
+void write_char(uint8_t id, uint32_t i, uint8_t v ) {
+  //printf("C write_char(%d, %d): %d\n", id, i, v);
+  D[id][i] = v;
+}
+
+uint8_t read_char(uint8_t id, uint32_t i) {
+  //printf("C read_char(%d, %d): %d\n", id, i, D[id][i]);
+  return D[id][i];
+}
+
+void sigabrtHandler(int sig_num)
+{
+    /* Reset handler to catch SIGINT next time. Refer http://en.cppreference.com/w/c/program/signal */
+    signal(SIGABRT, sigabrtHandler);
+    printf("\nSIGABRT caught!\n");
+    fflush(stdout);
+}
+
+static void exit_handler(void) {
+  if (is_allocated[0] == 0) {
+    int i;
+    for(i=0; i<3*length; i++) {
+      printf("%d: %d\n", i, D[0][i]);
+    }
+    free(D[0]);
+  }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+  if (is_allocated[0] == 0) {
+    D[0] = (uint8_t *) malloc(3*length*sizeof(uint8_t));
+    if ( D[0] == NULL ) {
+      perror("execution of malloc() failed!\n");
+      return -1;
+    }
+    int i;
+    for(i=0; i<length; i++) {
+      D[0][i] = (i+1)*11;
+    }
+    for(i=0; i<3*length; i++) {
+      printf("%d: %d\n", i, D[0][i]);
+    }
+  }
+
+  signal(SIGABRT, sigabrtHandler);
+
+  atexit(exit_handler);
+  return ghdl_main(argc, argv);
+}
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/test/tb_external_buffer.vhd b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/test/tb_external_buffer.vhd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..03b2dc74f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/vhdl/external_buffer/src/test/tb_external_buffer.vhd
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+-- This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+-- License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file,
+-- You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+--
+-- Copyright (c) 2014-2019, Lars Asplund lars.anders.asplund@gmail.com
+
+--library vunit_lib;
+--context vunit_lib.vunit_context;
+
+library vunit_lib;
+use vunit_lib.run_pkg.all;
+use vunit_lib.logger_pkg.all;
+use vunit_lib.byte_vector_ptr_pkg.all;
+
+entity tb_external_buffer is
+  generic ( runner_cfg : string );
+end entity;
+
+architecture tb of tb_external_buffer is
+
+  constant block_len : natural := 5;
+
+  constant ebuf: byte_vector_ptr_t := new_byte_vector_ptr( 3*block_len, 1);  -- external through VHPIDIRECT functions 'read_char' and 'write_char'
+  constant abuf: byte_vector_ptr_t := new_byte_vector_ptr( 3*block_len, -1); -- external through access (required VHPIDIRECT function 'get_string_ptr')
+
+begin
+
+  main: process
+    variable val: integer;
+  begin
+    test_runner_setup(runner, runner_cfg);
+    info("Init test");
+    for x in 0 to block_len-1 loop
+      val := get(ebuf, x);
+      set(ebuf, block_len+x, val+1);
+      info("SET " & to_string(block_len+x) & ": " & to_string(val+1));
+    end loop;
+    for x in block_len to 2*block_len-1 loop
+      val := get(abuf, x);
+      set(abuf, block_len+x, val+2);
+      info("SET " & to_string(block_len+x) & ": " & to_string(val+2));
+    end loop;
+    info("End test");
+    test_runner_cleanup(runner);
+    wait;
+  end process;
+
+end architecture;
diff --git a/vunit/test/acceptance/test_external_run_scripts.py b/vunit/test/acceptance/test_external_run_scripts.py
index 7c35588466..168fb70a32 100644
--- a/vunit/test/acceptance/test_external_run_scripts.py
+++ b/vunit/test/acceptance/test_external_run_scripts.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import sys
 from vunit import ROOT
 from vunit.builtins import VHDL_PATH
-from vunit.test.common import has_simulator, check_report, simulator_is
+from vunit.test.common import has_simulator, check_report, simulator_is, simulator_check
 
 
 def simulator_supports_verilog():
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@ def test_vhdl_array_axis_vcs_example_project(self):
     def test_vhdl_axi_dma_example_project(self):
         self.check(join(ROOT, "examples", "vhdl", "axi_dma", "run.py"))
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(
+        simulator_check(lambda simclass: not simclass.supports_vhpi()),
+        "This simulator/backend does not support interfacing with external C code"
+    )
+    def test_vhdl_external_buffer_project(self):
+        self.check(join(ROOT, "examples", "vhdl", "external_buffer", "run.py"))
+
     def test_vhdl_user_guide_example_project(self):
         self.check(join(ROOT, "examples", "vhdl", "user_guide", "run.py"), exit_code=1)
         check_report(self.report_file,