diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/project.el b/lisp/progmodes/project.el
index ac18aceadcf..5a4274d6f68 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/project.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/project.el
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
 ;; files inside the root must not be considered a part of it).  It
 ;; should be consistent with `project-files'.
 ;;
+;; `project-build-dir' can be overridden if the project backend has some
+;; extra information about the project build directory.
+;;
 ;; This list can change in future versions.
 ;;
 ;; Transient project:
@@ -208,6 +211,22 @@ project-prompter
   :group 'project
   :version "30.1")
 
+(defcustom project-build-dir nil
+  "Build directory for current project.
+This is the custom that the user could specify in dir-locals to override
+the option specified by the project's backend."
+  :type 'directory
+  :safe t
+  :version "30.1")
+
+(defcustom project-compile-command nil
+  "Build command for current project.
+This is the custom that the user could specify in dir-locals to override
+the option specified by the project's backend."
+  :type 'directory
+  :safe t
+  :version "30.1")
+
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun project-current (&optional maybe-prompt directory)
   "Return the project instance in DIRECTORY, defaulting to `default-directory'.
@@ -289,8 +308,42 @@ project-external-roots
 headers search path, load path, class path, and so on."
   nil)
 
+(cl-defgeneric project-build-dir (_project)
+  "Return build directory of the current PROJECT.
+
+This function is intended to be defined by the backend when possible.
+Otherwise this returns nil and the `project-compile' command will be
+called in the project-root.
+If the user defines the directory-local variable `project-build-dir' it
+will have precedence over the result of this function."
+ nil)
+
+(defun project-get-build-dir (project)
+  "Return build directory of the current PROJECT.
+1. If the variable `project-build-dir' is defined, this function returns
+it.  2. Else if the function `project-build-dir' return non-nil.
+3. else it return the project-root.
+If the defined path is relative, this expands it relatively to the
+project's root."
+  (let ((dir (or project-build-dir           ;; variable for dir-locals or connection local vars
+                 (project-build-dir project) ;; backend function
+                 (project-root project))))   ;; I assume project-root is always absolute
+    (if (file-name-absolute-p dir)
+        dir
+      (expand-file-name dir (project-root project)))))
+
+(cl-defgeneric project-compile-command (_project)
+  "Return build command of the current PROJECT.
+
+This function is intended to be defined by the backend when possible.
+Otherwise this returns nil and the `project-compile' command will use
+the default `compile-command' value.  If the user defines the
+directory-local variable `project-build-command' it will have preference
+over this function and this will be never called."
+ nil)
+
 (cl-defgeneric project-name (project)
-  "A human-readable name for the project.
+  "A human-readable name for the PROJECT.
 Nominally unique, but not enforced."
   (file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name (project-root project))))
 
@@ -1391,10 +1444,16 @@ project-compile
   "Run `compile' in the project root."
   (declare (interactive-only compile))
   (interactive)
-  (let ((default-directory (project-root (project-current t)))
-        (compilation-buffer-name-function
-         (or project-compilation-buffer-name-function
-             compilation-buffer-name-function)))
+  ;; I am wondering whenever we need to expand connection local
+  ;; variables at this point... maybe before or inside the let.
+  (let* ((project (project-current t))
+         (default-directory (project-get-build-dir project))
+         (compile-command (or project-compile-command
+                              (project-compile-command project)
+                              compile-command))
+         (compilation-buffer-name-function
+          (or project-compilation-buffer-name-function
+              compilation-buffer-name-function)))
     (call-interactively #'compile)))
 
 (defun project-recompile (&optional edit-command)