diff --git a/pkg/apis/workspaces/v1alpha2/devworkspacetemplate_spec.go b/pkg/apis/workspaces/v1alpha2/devworkspacetemplate_spec.go
index 1d48cf7cc..c2e761285 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/workspaces/v1alpha2/devworkspacetemplate_spec.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/workspaces/v1alpha2/devworkspacetemplate_spec.go
@@ -79,6 +79,14 @@ type DevWorkspaceTemplateSpecContent struct {
 	// +devfile:toplevellist
 	StarterProjects []StarterProject `json:"starterProjects,omitempty" patchStrategy:"merge" patchMergeKey:"name"`
 
+	// Additional projects related to the main project in the devfile, contianing names and sources locations
+	// +optional
+	// +patchMergeKey=name
+	// +patchStrategy=merge
+	// +devfile:overrides:include:omitInPlugin=true,description=Overrides of dependentProjects encapsulated in a parent devfile.
+	// +devfile:toplevellist
+	DependentProjects []Project `json:"dependentProjects,omitempty" patchStrategy:"merge" patchMergeKey:"name"`
+
 	// Predefined, ready-to-use, devworkspace-related commands
 	// +optional
 	// +patchMergeKey=id
diff --git a/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad-output.yaml b/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad-output.yaml
index b74699647..ae6551a29 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad-output.yaml
+++ b/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad-output.yaml
@@ -25,6 +25,18 @@ starterProjects:
 - name: starterproject2
   zip:
     location: "{{tag}}"
+dependentProjects:
+- name: dependentproject1
+  clonePath: "{{path}}"
+  git:
+    checkoutFrom:
+      revision: "{{tag}}"
+    remotes:
+      "{{dir}}": "{{version1}}/dev/null-/dev/null"
+      "{{version}}": "test"
+- name: dependentproject2
+  zip:
+    location: "{{tag}}"
 components:
 - name: component1
   container:
diff --git a/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad.yaml b/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad.yaml
index 7b4c597b5..292aeac99 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad.yaml
+++ b/pkg/validation/variables/test-fixtures/all/devfile-bad.yaml
@@ -25,6 +25,18 @@ starterProjects:
 - name: starterproject2
   zip:
     location: "{{tag}}"
+dependentProjects:
+- name: dependentproject1
+  clonePath: "{{path}}"
+  git:
+    checkoutFrom:
+      revision: "{{tag}}"
+    remotes:
+      "{{dir}}": "{{version1}}{{devnull}}-{{devnull}}"
+      "{{version}}": "test"
+- name: dependentproject2
+  zip:
+    location: "{{tag}}"
 components:
 - name: component1
   container:
diff --git a/pkg/validation/variables/variables.go b/pkg/validation/variables/variables.go
index b1adf413a..2b123c84d 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/variables/variables.go
+++ b/pkg/validation/variables/variables.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ type VariableWarning struct {
 
 	// StarterProjects stores a map of starter project names to the invalid variable references
 	StarterProjects map[string][]string
+
+	// DependentProjects stores a map of dependent project names to invalid variable references
+	DependentProjects map[string][]string
 }
 
 // ValidateAndReplaceGlobalVariable validates the workspace template spec data for global variable references and replaces them with the variable value
@@ -58,6 +61,9 @@ func ValidateAndReplaceGlobalVariable(workspaceTemplateSpec *v1alpha2.DevWorkspa
 
 		// Validate the starter projects and replace for global variable
 		variableWarning.StarterProjects = ValidateAndReplaceForStarterProjects(workspaceTemplateSpec.Variables, workspaceTemplateSpec.StarterProjects)
+
+		// Validate the starter projects and replace for global variable
+		variableWarning.DependentProjects = ValidateAndReplaceForProjects(workspaceTemplateSpec.Variables, workspaceTemplateSpec.DependentProjects)
 	}
 
 	return variableWarning
diff --git a/pkg/validation/variables/variables_test.go b/pkg/validation/variables/variables_test.go
index b1c6fa7e9..385216cae 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/variables/variables_test.go
+++ b/pkg/validation/variables/variables_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ func TestValidateGlobalVariableBasic(t *testing.T) {
 					"starterproject1": {"desc", "dir", "tag"},
 					"starterproject2": {"tag"},
 				},
+				DependentProjects: map[string][]string{
+					"project1": {"dir", "path", "tag", "version", "version1"},
+					"project2": {"tag"},
+				},
 			},
 		},
 	}