diff --git a/declarations/WebpackOptions.d.ts b/declarations/WebpackOptions.d.ts
index b2a4c7a12..3ae739c7e 100644
--- a/declarations/WebpackOptions.d.ts
+++ b/declarations/WebpackOptions.d.ts
@@ -2743,6 +2743,10 @@ export interface ExternalItemFunctionData {
 	 * Contextual information.
 	 */
 	contextInfo?: import("../lib/ModuleFactory").ModuleFactoryCreateDataContextInfo;
+	/**
+	 * The category of the referencing dependencies.
+	 */
+	dependencyType?: string;
 	/**
 	 * Get a resolve function with the current resolver options.
 	 */
diff --git a/lib/ExternalModuleFactoryPlugin.js b/lib/ExternalModuleFactoryPlugin.js
index 0a89a3f59..cd1d8fd2e 100644
--- a/lib/ExternalModuleFactoryPlugin.js
+++ b/lib/ExternalModuleFactoryPlugin.js
@@ -172,13 +172,14 @@ class ExternalModuleFactoryPlugin {
 								cb
 							);
 						} else {
+							const dependencyType = dependency.category || "";
 							const promise = externals(
 								{
 									context,
 									request: dependency.request,
+									dependencyType,
 									contextInfo,
 									getResolve: options => (context, request, callback) => {
-										const dependencyType = dependency.category || "";
 										const resolveContext = {
 											fileDependencies: data.fileDependencies,
 											missingDependencies: data.missingDependencies,
diff --git a/schemas/WebpackOptions.json b/schemas/WebpackOptions.json
index b45d2b2ae..7ab58062b 100644
--- a/schemas/WebpackOptions.json
+++ b/schemas/WebpackOptions.json
@@ -807,6 +807,10 @@
           "type": "object",
           "tsType": "import('../lib/ModuleFactory').ModuleFactoryCreateDataContextInfo"
         },
+        "dependencyType": {
+          "description": "The category of the referencing dependencies.",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
         "getResolve": {
           "description": "Get a resolve function with the current resolver options.",
           "instanceof": "Function",
diff --git a/types.d.ts b/types.d.ts
index e630d8434..457be1063 100644
--- a/types.d.ts
+++ b/types.d.ts
@@ -3617,6 +3617,11 @@ declare interface ExternalItemFunctionData {
 	 */
 	contextInfo?: ModuleFactoryCreateDataContextInfo;
 
+	/**
+	 * The category of the referencing dependencies.
+	 */
+	dependencyType?: string;
+
 	/**
 	 * Get a resolve function with the current resolver options.
 	 */