diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index e805645db..40c14d894 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ ifeq ($(REBAR_ENABLE_ELIXIR),true)
   ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW=$(shell elixir -e "IO.puts(:filename.dirname(:code.lib_dir(:elixir)))" -e ":erlang.halt")
   ELIXIR_LIBDIR=":$(ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW)"
   EXPLICIT_ELIXIR_COMPILE=MIX_ENV=default mix compile.elixir
+  PREPARE_ELIXIR_SCRIPTS=mkdir rel/overlays; cp $(ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW)/../bin/iex rel/overlays/; cp $(ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW)/../bin/elixir rel/overlays/; sed -i 's|ERTS_BIN=$$|ERTS_BIN=$$SCRIPT_PATH/../../erts-{{erts_vsn}}/bin/|' rel/overlays/elixir
 endif
 ifeq "$(REBAR_VER)" "3"
   SKIPDEPS=
@@ -438,11 +439,13 @@ distclean: clean clean-rel
 	rm -f vars.config
 
 rel:
+	$(PREPARE_ELIXIR_SCRIPTS)
 	$(REBARREL)
 
 DEV_CONFIG = _build/dev/rel/ejabberd/conf/ejabberd.yml
 
 dev $(DEV_CONFIG):
+	$(PREPARE_ELIXIR_SCRIPTS)
 	$(REBARDEV)
 
 TAGS:
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index 81849430f..6a715b586 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -255,6 +255,10 @@
                    {template, "ejabberdctl.template", "bin/ejabberdctl"},
                    {copy, "_build/default/lib/ejabberd/ebin/Elixir.*", "lib/ejabberd-{{release_version}}/ebin/"},
                    {copy, "{{base_dir}}/consolidated/*", "lib/ejabberd-{{release_version}}/ebin/"},
+                   {copy, "rel/overlays/iex", "releases/{{release_version}}/"},
+                   {if_var_true, elixir,
+                    {template, "rel/overlays/elixir", "releases/{{release_version}}/elixir"}
+                   },
                    {copy, "inetrc", "conf/inetrc"},
                    {copy, "tools/captcha*.sh", "lib/ejabberd-\{\{release_version\}\}/priv/bin/"},
                    {copy, "rel/files/install_upgrade.escript", "bin/install_upgrade.escript"}]}
diff --git a/src/ejabberd.app.src.script b/src/ejabberd.app.src.script
index 4c8745146..82048c4e0 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd.app.src.script
+++ b/src/ejabberd.app.src.script
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
-Vars = case file:consult(filename:join([filename:dirname(SCRIPT), "..", "vars.config"])) of
+{Vars, ElixirApps} = case file:consult(filename:join([filename:dirname(SCRIPT), "..", "vars.config"])) of
     {ok, Terms} ->
         Backends = [mssql, mysql, odbc, pgsql, redis, sqlite],
         EBs = lists:filter(fun(Backend) -> lists:member({Backend, true}, Terms) end, Backends),
-        [lists:keyfind(description, 1, Terms),
+        Elixirs = case lists:keyfind(elixir, 1, Terms) of
+            {elixir, true} -> [elixir, iex, logger, mix];
+            _ -> []
+        end,
+        {[lists:keyfind(description, 1, Terms),
          lists:keyfind(vsn, 1, Terms),
          {env, [{enabled_backends, EBs}]}
-        ];
+        ], Elixirs};
     _Err ->
-        []
+        {[], []}
     end,
 
 {application, ejabberd,
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ Vars = case file:consult(filename:join([filename:dirname(SCRIPT), "..", "vars.co
      pkix,
      stringprep,
      yconf,
-     xmpp]},
+     xmpp | ElixirApps]},
   {mod, {ejabberd_app, []}}]}.
 
 %% Local Variables: