diff --git a/ci/docker/runtime_functions.sh b/ci/docker/runtime_functions.sh
index 40405b96163e..8a34e734eee1 100755
--- a/ci/docker/runtime_functions.sh
+++ b/ci/docker/runtime_functions.sh
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ build_centos7_cpu() {
         -DUSE_MKLDNN=OFF \
         -DUSE_DIST_KVSTORE=ON \
         -DUSE_CUDA=OFF \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -299,6 +300,7 @@ build_centos7_gpu() {
         -DUSE_CUDA=ON \
         -DMXNET_CUDA_ARCH="$CI_CMAKE_CUDA_ARCH" \
         -DUSE_DIST_KVSTORE=ON\
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -320,6 +322,7 @@ build_ubuntu_cpu_openblas() {
         -DUSE_CUDA=OFF \
         -DUSE_DIST_KVSTORE=ON \
         -DBUILD_CYTHON_MODULES=ON \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -335,6 +338,7 @@ build_ubuntu_cpu_mkl() {
         -DUSE_TVM_OP=ON \
         -DUSE_MKL_IF_AVAILABLE=ON \
         -DUSE_BLAS=MKL \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -GNinja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -367,6 +371,7 @@ build_ubuntu_cpu_cmake_no_tvm_op() {
         -DUSE_OPENCV=ON \
         -DUSE_SIGNAL_HANDLER=ON \
         -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja \
         /work/mxnet
 
@@ -519,6 +524,7 @@ build_ubuntu_cpu_mkldnn() {
         -DUSE_MKLDNN=ON \
         -DUSE_CUDA=OFF \
         -DUSE_CPP_PACKAGE=ON \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -534,6 +540,7 @@ build_ubuntu_cpu_mkldnn_mkl() {
         -DUSE_TVM_OP=ON \
         -DUSE_MKL_IF_AVAILABLE=ON \
         -DUSE_BLAS=MKL \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -GNinja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -605,6 +612,7 @@ build_ubuntu_gpu_mkldnn() {
         -DUSE_CUDA=ON \
         -DMXNET_CUDA_ARCH="$CI_CMAKE_CUDA_ARCH" \
         -DUSE_CPP_PACKAGE=ON \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -619,6 +627,7 @@ build_ubuntu_gpu_mkldnn_nocudnn() {
         -DMXNET_CUDA_ARCH="$CI_CMAKE_CUDA_ARCH" \
         -DUSE_CUDNN=OFF \
         -DUSE_CPP_PACKAGE=ON \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
@@ -636,6 +645,7 @@ build_ubuntu_gpu_cuda101_cudnn7() {
         -DUSE_CPP_PACKAGE=ON \
         -DUSE_DIST_KVSTORE=ON \
         -DBUILD_CYTHON_MODULES=ON \
+        -DBUILD_EXTENSION_PATH=/work/mxnet/example/extensions/lib_external_ops \
         -G Ninja /work/mxnet
     ninja
 }
diff --git a/ci/jenkins/Jenkins_steps.groovy b/ci/jenkins/Jenkins_steps.groovy
index 20b03e9f6b4a..3b8d2ca600e2 100644
--- a/ci/jenkins/Jenkins_steps.groovy
+++ b/ci/jenkins/Jenkins_steps.groovy
@@ -23,18 +23,18 @@
 utils = load('ci/Jenkinsfile_utils.groovy')
 
 // mxnet libraries
-mx_lib = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so'
-mx_lib_cython = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, python/mxnet/_cy3/*.so, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, python/mxnet/_ffi/_cy3/*.so'
+mx_lib = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/libexternal_lib.so, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so'
+mx_lib_cython = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/libexternal_lib.so, python/mxnet/_cy3/*.so, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, python/mxnet/_ffi/_cy3/*.so'
 
 // mxnet cmake libraries, in cmake builds we do not produce a libnvvm static library by default.
 mx_cmake_lib = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/tests/mxnet_unit_tests, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so'
-mx_cmake_lib_no_tvm_op = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, build/tests/mxnet_unit_tests, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so'
+mx_cmake_lib_no_tvm_op = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/libexternal_lib.so, build/tests/mxnet_unit_tests, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so'
 mx_cmake_lib_cython = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/tests/mxnet_unit_tests, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, python/mxnet/_cy3/*.so, python/mxnet/_ffi/_cy3/*.so'
 // mxnet cmake libraries, in cmake builds we do not produce a libnvvm static library by default.
 mx_cmake_lib_debug = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, build/tests/mxnet_unit_tests'
-mx_mkldnn_lib = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so'
+mx_mkldnn_lib = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/libexternal_lib.so'
 mx_tensorrt_lib = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, lib/libnvonnxparser_runtime.so.0, lib/libnvonnxparser.so.0, lib/libonnx_proto.so, lib/libonnx.so'
-mx_lib_cpp_examples = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, python/mxnet/_cy3/*.so, python/mxnet/_ffi/_cy3/*.so'
+mx_lib_cpp_examples = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/libexternal_lib.so, python/mxnet/_cy3/*.so, python/mxnet/_ffi/_cy3/*.so'
 mx_lib_cpp_examples_no_tvm_op = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/libcustomop_lib.so, build/libcustomop_gpu_lib.so, build/libsubgraph_lib.so, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so, python/mxnet/_cy3/*.so, python/mxnet/_ffi/_cy3/*.so'
 mx_lib_cpp_examples_cpu = 'build/libmxnet.so, build/3rdparty/tvm/libtvm_runtime.so, build/libtvmop.so, build/tvmop.conf, build/3rdparty/openmp/runtime/src/libomp.so'
 mx_cd_lib = 'lib/libmxnet.so, licenses/*, lib/libgfortran.so.*, lib/libopenblas.so.0, include/mkldnn/dnnl_version.h, include/mkldnn/dnnl_config.h'
diff --git a/tests/python/gpu/test_extensions_gpu.py b/tests/python/gpu/test_extensions_gpu.py
index 1cc06cd8b2c5..9d3683166053 100644
--- a/tests/python/gpu/test_extensions_gpu.py
+++ b/tests/python/gpu/test_extensions_gpu.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 import pytest
 
 base_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../../..")
-def check_platform():
-    return platform.machine() not in ['x86_64', 'AMD64']
+def check_platform(supported_platforms=['x86_64', 'AMD64']):
+    return platform.machine() not in supported_platforms
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(check_platform(), reason="not all machine types supported")
 @pytest.mark.skipif(is_cd_run(), reason="continuous delivery run - ignoring test")
@@ -89,3 +89,24 @@ def test_custom_op_gpu():
     mx.random.seed(128, ctx=mx.gpu())
     r4 = mx.nd.my_noisy_relu(d2)
     assert_almost_equal(r3.asnumpy(), r4.asnumpy(), rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-3)
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(check_platform(['x86_64']), reason="not all machine types supported")
+@pytest.mark.skipif(is_cd_run(), reason="continuous delivery run - ignoring test")
+def test_external_op():
+    # check if operator already exists
+    if hasattr(mx.nd, 'min_ex'):
+        raise MXNetError('Operator already loaded')
+
+    lib = 'libexternal_lib.so'
+    fname = os.path.join(base_path,'example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/'+lib)
+    if not os.path.exists(fname):
+        raise MXNetError("library %s not found " % lib)
+
+    fname = os.path.abspath(fname)
+    mx.library.load(fname, False)
+
+    # execute operator
+    try:
+        mx.nd.min_ex()
+    except:
+        raise MXNetError('Operator not loaded successfully')
diff --git a/tests/python/unittest/test_extensions.py b/tests/python/unittest/test_extensions.py
index 52f999571e13..1c6763f5c515 100644
--- a/tests/python/unittest/test_extensions.py
+++ b/tests/python/unittest/test_extensions.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 import pytest
 
 base_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../../..")
-def check_platform():
-    return platform.machine() not in ['x86_64', 'AMD64']
+def check_platform(supported_platforms=['x86_64', 'AMD64']):
+    return platform.machine() not in supported_platforms
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(check_platform(), reason="not all machine types supported")
 @pytest.mark.skipif(is_cd_run(), reason="continuous delivery run - ignoring test")
@@ -179,3 +179,24 @@ def test_subgraph():
     out5 = sym_block3(a_data, b_data)
     # check that result matches one executed by MXNet
     assert_almost_equal(out[0].asnumpy(), out5[0].asnumpy(), rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-3)
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(check_platform(['x86_64']), reason="not all machine types supported")
+@pytest.mark.skipif(is_cd_run(), reason="continuous delivery run - ignoring test")
+def test_external_op():
+    # check if operator already exists
+    if hasattr(mx.nd, 'min_ex'):
+        raise MXNetError('Operator already loaded')
+
+    lib = 'libexternal_lib.so'
+    fname = os.path.join(base_path,'example/extensions/lib_external_ops/build/'+lib)
+    if not os.path.exists(fname):
+        raise MXNetError("library %s not found " % lib)
+
+    fname = os.path.abspath(fname)
+    mx.library.load(fname, False)
+
+    # execute operator
+    try:
+        mx.nd.min_ex()
+    except:
+        raise MXNetError('Operator not loaded successfully')