diff --git a/doc/manual/configuration.rst b/doc/manual/configuration.rst
index 069c438d..ff474397 100644
--- a/doc/manual/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/manual/configuration.rst
@@ -1532,9 +1532,8 @@ metaEnvironment
 Type: Dictionary (String -> String)
 
 metaEnvironment variables behave like :ref:`configuration-recipes-privateenv` variables.
-They overrule other environment variables and can be used in all steps, but substitution is not
-available. In addition all metaEnvironment variables are added to the audit no matter they are
-used in a step or not.
+They overrule other environment variables and can be used in all steps. In addition all
+metaEnvironment variables are added to the audit no matter they are used in a step or not.
 This predestines metaEnvironment variables to add the license type or version of a package.
 
 The :ref:`manpage-query-meta` command can be used to retrieve metaEnvironment variables.
diff --git a/pym/bob/input.py b/pym/bob/input.py
index 1658924a..5c393721 100644
--- a/pym/bob/input.py
+++ b/pym/bob/input.py
@@ -1480,10 +1480,10 @@ def refDeref(self, stack, inputTools, inputSandbox, pathFormatter, cache=None):
 class CorePackage:
     __slots__ = ("recipe", "internalRef", "directDepSteps", "indirectDepSteps",
         "states", "tools", "sandbox", "checkoutStep", "buildStep", "packageStep",
-        "pkgId", "fingerprintMask")
+        "pkgId", "fingerprintMask", "metaEnv")
 
     def __init__(self, recipe, tools, diffTools, sandbox, diffSandbox,
-                 directDepSteps, indirectDepSteps, states, pkgId, fingerprintMask):
+                 directDepSteps, indirectDepSteps, states, pkgId, fingerprintMask, metaEnv):
         self.recipe = recipe
         self.tools = tools
         self.sandbox = sandbox
@@ -1493,6 +1493,7 @@ def __init__(self, recipe, tools, diffTools, sandbox, diffSandbox,
         self.states = states
         self.pkgId = pkgId
         self.fingerprintMask = fingerprintMask
+        self.metaEnv = metaEnv
 
     def refDeref(self, stack, inputTools, inputSandbox, pathFormatter):
         tools, sandbox = self.internalRef.refDeref(stack, inputTools, inputSandbox, pathFormatter)
@@ -1527,6 +1528,9 @@ def getName(self):
         """Name of the package"""
         return self.recipe.getPackageName()
 
+    def getMetaEnv(self):
+        return self.metaEnv
+
     @property
     def jobServer(self):
         return self.recipe.jobServer()
@@ -1583,7 +1587,7 @@ def getName(self):
 
     def getMetaEnv(self):
         """meta variables of package"""
-        return self.getRecipe().getMetaEnv()
+        return self.__corePackage.getMetaEnv()
 
     def getStack(self):
         """Returns the recipe processing stack leading to this package.
@@ -2227,9 +2231,6 @@ def getName(self):
         """
         return self.__baseName
 
-    def getMetaEnv(self):
-        return self.__metaEnv
-
     def isRoot(self):
         """Returns True if this is a root recipe."""
         return self.__root == True
@@ -2488,8 +2489,10 @@ def prepare(self, inputEnv, sandboxEnabled, inputStates, inputSandbox=None,
             env = env.derive({ key : env.substitute(value, "privateEnvironment::"+key)
                                for key, value in i.items() })
 
-        # meta variables override existing variables but can not be substituted
-        env.update(self.__metaEnv)
+        # meta variables override existing variables
+        metaEnv = { key : env.substitute(value, "metaEnvironment::"+key)
+            for key, value in self.__metaEnv.items() }
+        env.update(metaEnv)
 
         # set fixed built-in variables
         env['BOB_RECIPE_NAME'] = self.__baseName
@@ -2533,7 +2536,7 @@ def prepare(self, inputEnv, sandboxEnabled, inputStates, inputSandbox=None,
         # touchedTools = tools.touchedKeys()
         # diffTools = { n : t for n,t in diffTools.items() if n in touchedTools }
         p = CorePackage(self, toolsDetached, diffTools, sandbox, diffSandbox,
-                directPackages, indirectPackages, states, uidGen(), doFingerprint)
+                directPackages, indirectPackages, states, uidGen(), doFingerprint, metaEnv)
 
         # optional checkout step
         if self.__checkout != (None, None, None) or self.__checkoutSCMs or self.__checkoutAsserts:
diff --git a/test/unit/test_input_recipe.py b/test/unit/test_input_recipe.py
index 7a0f68c2..d5c83a97 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_input_recipe.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_input_recipe.py
@@ -691,8 +691,8 @@ def testMergeEnvironment(self):
                     "C" : "<lib><b>",
                 })
 
-    def testMetaEnvrionmentNoSubstitution(self):
-        """metaEnvironment values are not substituted but merged on a key-by-key basis"""
+    def testMetaEnvrionmentSubstitution(self):
+        """metaEnvironment is substituted and merged on a key-by-key basis"""
         recipe = {
             "inherit" : ["a", "b"],
             "metaEnvironment" : {
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ def testMetaEnvrionmentNoSubstitution(self):
         }
         p = self.parseAndPrepare(recipe, classes, env=env).getPackageStep()
         self.assertEqual(p.getEnv(), {
-            "A" : "<lib>${A:-}",
-            "B" : "<lib>${B:-}",
+            "A" : "<lib>a",
+            "B" : "<lib>b",
             "C" : "<b>",
         })