diff --git a/meta/classes-global/retain.bbclass b/meta/classes-global/retain.bbclass
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..46e8c256cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/classes-global/retain.bbclass
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+# Creates a tarball of the work directory for a recipe when one of its
+# tasks fails, or any other nominated directories.
+# Useful in cases where the environment in which builds are run is
+# ephemeral or otherwise inaccessible for examination during
+# debugging.
+#
+# To enable, simply add the following to your configuration:
+#
+# INHERIT += "retain"
+#
+# You can specify the recipe-specific directories to save upon failure
+# or always (space-separated) e.g.:
+#
+# RETAIN_DIRS_FAILURE = "${WORKDIR};prefix=workdir"    # default
+# RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS = "${T}"
+#
+# Naturally you can use overrides to limit it to a specific recipe:
+# RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS:pn-somerecipe = "${T}"
+#
+# You can also specify global (non-recipe-specific) directories to save:
+#
+# RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_FAILURE = "${LOG_DIR}"
+# RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS = "${BUILDSTATS_BASE}"
+#
+# If you wish to use a different tarball name prefix than the default of
+# the directory name, you can do so by specifying a ;prefix= followed by
+# the desired prefix (no spaces) in any of the RETAIN_DIRS_* variables.
+# e.g. to always save the log files with a "recipelogs" as the prefix for
+# the tarball of ${T} you would do this:
+#
+# RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS = "${T};prefix=recipelogs"
+#
+# Notes:
+# * For this to be useful you also need corresponding logic in your build
+#   orchestration tool to pick up any files written out to RETAIN_OUTDIR
+#   (with the other assumption being that no files are present there at
+#   the start of the build, since there is no logic to purge old files).
+# * Work directories can be quite large, so saving them can take some time
+#   and of course space.
+# * Tarball creation is deferred to the end of the build, thus you will
+#   get the state at the end, not immediately upon failure.
+# * Extra directories must naturally be populated at the time the retain
+#   class goes to save them (build completion); to try ensure this for
+#   things that are also saved on build completion (e.g. buildstats), put
+#   the INHERIT += "retain" after the INHERIT += lines for the class that
+#   is writing out the data that you wish to save.
+# * The tarballs have the tarball name as a top-level directory so that
+#   multiple tarballs can be extracted side-by-side easily.
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2020, 2024 Microsoft Corporation
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+#
+
+RETAIN_OUTDIR ?= "${TMPDIR}/retained"
+RETAIN_DIRS_FAILURE ?= "${WORKDIR};prefix=workdir"
+RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS ?= ""
+RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_FAILURE ?= ""
+RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS ?= ""
+RETAIN_TARBALL_SUFFIX ?= "${DATETIME}.tar.gz"
+RETAIN_ENABLED ?= "1"
+
+
+def retain_retain_dir(desc, tarprefix, path, tarbasepath, d):
+    import datetime
+
+    outdir = d.getVar('RETAIN_OUTDIR')
+    bb.utils.mkdirhier(outdir)
+    suffix = d.getVar('RETAIN_TARBALL_SUFFIX')
+    tarname = '%s_%s' % (tarprefix, suffix)
+    tarfp = os.path.join(outdir, '%s' % tarname)
+    tardir = os.path.relpath(path, tarbasepath)
+    cmdargs = ['tar', 'cfa', tarfp]
+    # Prefix paths within the tarball with the tarball name so that
+    # multiple tarballs can be extracted side-by-side
+    tarname_noext = os.path.splitext(tarname)[0]
+    if tarname_noext.endswith('.tar'):
+        tarname_noext = tarname_noext[:-4]
+    cmdargs += ['--transform', 's:^:%s/:' % tarname_noext]
+    cmdargs += [tardir]
+    try:
+        bb.process.run(cmdargs, cwd=tarbasepath)
+    except bb.process.ExecutionError as e:
+        # It is possible for other tasks to be writing to the workdir
+        # while we are tarring it up, in which case tar will return 1,
+        # but we don't care in this situation (tar returns 2 for other
+        # errors so we we will see those)
+        if e.exitcode != 1:
+            bb.warn('retain: error saving %s: %s' % (desc, str(e)))
+
+
+addhandler retain_task_handler
+retain_task_handler[eventmask] = "bb.build.TaskFailed bb.build.TaskSucceeded"
+
+addhandler retain_build_handler
+retain_build_handler[eventmask] = "bb.event.BuildStarted bb.event.BuildCompleted"
+
+python retain_task_handler() {
+    if d.getVar('RETAIN_ENABLED') != '1':
+        return
+
+    dirs = d.getVar('RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS')
+    if isinstance(e, bb.build.TaskFailed):
+        dirs += ' ' + d.getVar('RETAIN_DIRS_FAILURE')
+
+    dirs = dirs.strip().split()
+    if dirs:
+        outdir = d.getVar('RETAIN_OUTDIR')
+        bb.utils.mkdirhier(outdir)
+        dirlist_file = os.path.join(outdir, 'retain_dirs.list')
+        pn = d.getVar('PN')
+        taskname = d.getVar('BB_CURRENTTASK')
+        with open(dirlist_file, 'a') as f:
+            for entry in dirs:
+                f.write('%s %s %s\n' % (pn, taskname, entry))
+}
+
+python retain_build_handler() {
+    outdir = d.getVar('RETAIN_OUTDIR')
+    dirlist_file = os.path.join(outdir, 'retain_dirs.list')
+
+    if isinstance(e, bb.event.BuildStarted):
+        if os.path.exists(dirlist_file):
+            os.remove(dirlist_file)
+        return
+
+    if d.getVar('RETAIN_ENABLED') != '1':
+        return
+
+    savedirs = {}
+    try:
+        with open(dirlist_file, 'r') as f:
+            for line in f:
+                pn, _, path = line.rstrip().split()
+                if not path in savedirs:
+                    savedirs[path] = pn
+        os.remove(dirlist_file)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+
+    if e.getFailures():
+        for path in (d.getVar('RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_FAILURE') or '').strip().split():
+            savedirs[path] = ''
+
+    for path in (d.getVar('RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS') or '').strip().split():
+        savedirs[path] = ''
+
+    if savedirs:
+        bb.plain('NOTE: retain: retaining build output...')
+        count = 0
+        for path, pn in savedirs.items():
+            prefix = None
+            if ';' in path:
+                pathsplit = path.split(';')
+                path = pathsplit[0]
+                for param in pathsplit[1:]:
+                    if '=' in param:
+                        name, value = param.split('=', 1)
+                        if name == 'prefix':
+                            prefix = value
+                        else:
+                            bb.error('retain: invalid parameter "%s" in RETAIN_* variable value' % param)
+                            return
+                    else:
+                        bb.error('retain: parameter "%s" missing value in RETAIN_* variable value' % param)
+                        return
+            if prefix:
+                itemname = prefix
+            else:
+                itemname = os.path.basename(path)
+            if pn:
+                # Always add the recipe name in front
+                itemname = pn + '_' + itemname
+            if os.path.exists(path):
+                retain_retain_dir(itemname, itemname, path, os.path.dirname(path), d)
+                count += 1
+            else:
+                bb.warn('retain: path %s does not currently exist' % path)
+        if count:
+            item = 'archive' if count == 1 else 'archives'
+            bb.plain('NOTE: retain: saved %d %s to %s' % (count, item, outdir))
+}
diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/retain.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/retain.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..892be45857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/retain.py
@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+# Tests for retain.bbclass
+#
+# Copyright OpenEmbedded Contributors
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+#
+
+import os
+import glob
+import fnmatch
+import oe.path
+import shutil
+import tarfile
+from oeqa.utils.commands import bitbake, get_bb_vars
+from oeqa.selftest.case import OESelftestTestCase
+
+class Retain(OESelftestTestCase):
+
+    def test_retain_always(self):
+        """
+        Summary:     Test retain class with RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS
+        Expected:    Archive written to RETAIN_OUTDIR when build of test recipe completes
+        Product:     oe-core
+        Author:      Paul Eggleton <paul.eggleton@microsoft.com>
+        """
+
+        test_recipe = 'quilt-native'
+
+        features = 'INHERIT += "retain"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS = "${T}"\n'
+        self.write_config(features)
+
+        bitbake('-c clean %s' % test_recipe)
+
+        bb_vars = get_bb_vars(['RETAIN_OUTDIR', 'TMPDIR'])
+        retain_outdir = bb_vars['RETAIN_OUTDIR'] or ''
+        tmpdir = bb_vars['TMPDIR']
+        if len(retain_outdir) < 5:
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR value "%s" is invalid' % retain_outdir)
+        if not oe.path.is_path_parent(tmpdir, retain_outdir):
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR (%s) is not underneath TMPDIR (%s)' % (retain_outdir, tmpdir))
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(retain_outdir)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+
+        bitbake(test_recipe)
+        if not glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, '%s_temp_*.tar.gz' % test_recipe)):
+            self.fail('No output archive for %s created' % test_recipe)
+
+
+    def test_retain_failure(self):
+        """
+        Summary:     Test retain class default behaviour
+        Expected:    Archive written to RETAIN_OUTDIR only when build of test
+                     recipe fails, and archive contents are as expected
+        Product:     oe-core
+        Author:      Paul Eggleton <paul.eggleton@microsoft.com>
+        """
+
+        test_recipe_fail = 'error'
+
+        features = 'INHERIT += "retain"\n'
+        self.write_config(features)
+
+        bb_vars = get_bb_vars(['RETAIN_OUTDIR', 'TMPDIR', 'RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS', 'RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS'])
+        if bb_vars['RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS']:
+            self.fail('RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS is set, this interferes with the test')
+        if bb_vars['RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS']:
+            self.fail('RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS is set, this interferes with the test')
+        retain_outdir = bb_vars['RETAIN_OUTDIR'] or ''
+        tmpdir = bb_vars['TMPDIR']
+        if len(retain_outdir) < 5:
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR value "%s" is invalid' % retain_outdir)
+        if not oe.path.is_path_parent(tmpdir, retain_outdir):
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR (%s) is not underneath TMPDIR (%s)' % (retain_outdir, tmpdir))
+
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(retain_outdir)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+
+        bitbake('-c clean %s' % test_recipe_fail)
+
+        if os.path.exists(retain_outdir):
+            retain_dirlist = os.listdir(retain_outdir)
+            if retain_dirlist:
+                self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR should be empty without failure, contents:\n%s' % '\n'.join(retain_dirlist))
+
+        result = bitbake('-c compile %s' % test_recipe_fail, ignore_status=True)
+        if result.status == 0:
+            self.fail('Build of %s did not fail as expected' % test_recipe_fail)
+
+        archives = glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, '%s_*.tar.gz' % test_recipe_fail))
+        if not archives:
+            self.fail('No output archive for %s created' % test_recipe_fail)
+        if len(archives) > 1:
+            self.fail('More than one archive for %s created' % test_recipe_fail)
+        for archive in archives:
+            found = False
+            archive_prefix = os.path.basename(archive).split('.tar')[0]
+            expected_prefix_start = '%s_workdir' % test_recipe_fail
+            if not archive_prefix.startswith(expected_prefix_start):
+                self.fail('Archive %s name does not start with expected prefix "%s"' % (os.path.basename(archive), expected_prefix_start))
+            with tarfile.open(archive) as tf:
+                for ti in tf:
+                    if not fnmatch.fnmatch(ti.name, '%s/*' % archive_prefix):
+                        self.fail('File without tarball-named subdirectory within tarball %s: %s' % (os.path.basename(archive), ti.name))
+                    if ti.name.endswith('/temp/log.do_compile'):
+                        found = True
+            if not found:
+                self.fail('Did not find log.do_compile in output archive %s' % os.path.basename(archive))
+
+
+    def test_retain_global(self):
+        """
+        Summary:     Test retain class RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_* behaviour
+        Expected:    Ensure RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS always causes an
+                     archive to be created, and RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_FAILURE
+                     only causes an archive to be created on failure.
+                     Also test archive naming (with : character) as an
+                     added bonus.
+        Product:     oe-core
+        Author:      Paul Eggleton <paul.eggleton@microsoft.com>
+        """
+
+        test_recipe = 'quilt-native'
+        test_recipe_fail = 'error'
+
+        features = 'INHERIT += "retain"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_ALWAYS = "${LOG_DIR};prefix=buildlogs"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_DIRS_GLOBAL_FAILURE = "${STAMPS_DIR}"\n'
+        self.write_config(features)
+
+        bitbake('-c clean %s' % test_recipe)
+
+        bb_vars = get_bb_vars(['RETAIN_OUTDIR', 'TMPDIR', 'STAMPS_DIR'])
+        retain_outdir = bb_vars['RETAIN_OUTDIR'] or ''
+        tmpdir = bb_vars['TMPDIR']
+        if len(retain_outdir) < 5:
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR value "%s" is invalid' % retain_outdir)
+        if not oe.path.is_path_parent(tmpdir, retain_outdir):
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR (%s) is not underneath TMPDIR (%s)' % (retain_outdir, tmpdir))
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(retain_outdir)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+
+        # Test success case
+        bitbake(test_recipe)
+        if not glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, 'buildlogs_*.tar.gz')):
+            self.fail('No output archive for LOG_DIR created')
+        stamps_dir = bb_vars['STAMPS_DIR']
+        if glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, '%s_*.tar.gz' % os.path.basename(stamps_dir))):
+            self.fail('Output archive for STAMPS_DIR created when it should not have been')
+
+        # Test failure case
+        result = bitbake('-c compile %s' % test_recipe_fail, ignore_status=True)
+        if result.status == 0:
+            self.fail('Build of %s did not fail as expected' % test_recipe_fail)
+        if not glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, '%s_*.tar.gz' % os.path.basename(stamps_dir))):
+            self.fail('Output archive for STAMPS_DIR not created')
+        if len(glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, 'buildlogs_*.tar.gz'))) != 2:
+            self.fail('Should be exactly two buildlogs archives in output dir')
+
+
+    def test_retain_misc(self):
+        """
+        Summary:     Test retain class with RETAIN_ENABLED and RETAIN_TARBALL_SUFFIX
+        Expected:    Archive written to RETAIN_OUTDIR only when RETAIN_ENABLED is set
+                     and archive contents are as expected. Also test archive naming
+                     (with : character) as an added bonus.
+        Product:     oe-core
+        Author:      Paul Eggleton <paul.eggleton@microsoft.com>
+        """
+
+        test_recipe_fail = 'error'
+
+        features = 'INHERIT += "retain"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS = "${T}"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_ENABLED = "0"\n'
+        self.write_config(features)
+
+        bb_vars = get_bb_vars(['RETAIN_OUTDIR', 'TMPDIR'])
+        retain_outdir = bb_vars['RETAIN_OUTDIR'] or ''
+        tmpdir = bb_vars['TMPDIR']
+        if len(retain_outdir) < 5:
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR value "%s" is invalid' % retain_outdir)
+        if not oe.path.is_path_parent(tmpdir, retain_outdir):
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR (%s) is not underneath TMPDIR (%s)' % (retain_outdir, tmpdir))
+
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(retain_outdir)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+
+        bitbake('-c clean %s' % test_recipe_fail)
+        result = bitbake('-c compile %s' % test_recipe_fail, ignore_status=True)
+        if result.status == 0:
+            self.fail('Build of %s did not fail as expected' % test_recipe_fail)
+
+        if os.path.exists(retain_outdir) and os.listdir(retain_outdir):
+            self.fail('RETAIN_OUTDIR should be empty with RETAIN_ENABLED = "0"')
+
+        features = 'INHERIT += "retain"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_DIRS_ALWAYS = "${T};prefix=recipelogs"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_TARBALL_SUFFIX = "${DATETIME}-testsuffix.tar.bz2"\n'
+        features += 'RETAIN_ENABLED = "1"\n'
+        self.write_config(features)
+
+        result = bitbake('-c compile %s' % test_recipe_fail, ignore_status=True)
+        if result.status == 0:
+            self.fail('Build of %s did not fail as expected' % test_recipe_fail)
+
+        archives = glob.glob(os.path.join(retain_outdir, '%s_*-testsuffix.tar.bz2' % test_recipe_fail))
+        if not archives:
+            self.fail('No output archive for %s created' % test_recipe_fail)
+        if len(archives) != 2:
+            self.fail('Two archives for %s expected, but %d exist' % (test_recipe_fail, len(archives)))
+        recipelogs_found = False
+        workdir_found = False
+        for archive in archives:
+            contents_found = False
+            archive_prefix = os.path.basename(archive).split('.tar')[0]
+            if archive_prefix.startswith('%s_recipelogs' % test_recipe_fail):
+                recipelogs_found = True
+            if archive_prefix.startswith('%s_workdir' % test_recipe_fail):
+                workdir_found = True
+            with tarfile.open(archive, 'r:bz2') as tf:
+                for ti in tf:
+                    if not fnmatch.fnmatch(ti.name, '%s/*' % (archive_prefix)):
+                        self.fail('File without tarball-named subdirectory within tarball %s: %s' % (os.path.basename(archive), ti.name))
+                    if ti.name.endswith('/log.do_compile'):
+                        contents_found = True
+            if not contents_found:
+                # Both archives should contain this file
+                self.fail('Did not find log.do_compile in output archive %s' % os.path.basename(archive))
+        if not recipelogs_found:
+            self.fail('No archive with expected "recipelogs" prefix found')
+        if not workdir_found:
+            self.fail('No archive with expected "workdir" prefix found')