diff --git a/compiler/docgen.nim b/compiler/docgen.nim
index 09a3983d41..1e7f1e3a60 100644
--- a/compiler/docgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/docgen.nim
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ proc newDocumentor*(filename: AbsoluteFile; cache: IdentCache; conf: ConfigRef,
       var outp: AbsoluteFile
       if filename.len == 0:
         let nameOnly = splitFile(d.filename).name
-        outp = getNimcacheDir(conf) / RelativeDir(nameOnly) /
+        # "snippets" needed, refs bug #17183
+        outp = getNimcacheDir(conf) / "snippets".RelativeDir / RelativeDir(nameOnly) /
                RelativeFile(nameOnly & "_snippet_" & $d.id & ".nim")
       elif isAbsolute(filename):
         outp = AbsoluteFile(filename)
@@ -228,10 +229,14 @@ proc newDocumentor*(filename: AbsoluteFile; cache: IdentCache; conf: ConfigRef,
         # backward compatibility hacks; interpolation commands should explicitly use `$`
         if cmd.startsWith "nim ": result = "$nim " & cmd[4..^1]
         else: result = cmd
+        # factor with D20210224T221756
         result = result.replace("$1", "$options") % [
           "nim", os.getAppFilename().quoteShell,
+          "libpath", quoteShell(d.conf.libpath),
+          "docCmd", d.conf.docCmd,
           "backend", $d.conf.backend,
           "options", outp.quoteShell,
+            # xxx `quoteShell` seems buggy if user passes options = "-d:foo somefile.nim"
         ]
       let cmd = cmd.interpSnippetCmd
       rawMessage(conf, hintExecuting, cmd)
@@ -475,6 +480,7 @@ proc runAllExamples(d: PDoc) =
     writeFile(outp, group.code)
     # most useful semantics is that `docCmd` comes after `rdoccmd`, so that we can (temporarily) override
     # via command line
+    # D20210224T221756:here
     let cmd = "$nim $backend -r --lib:$libpath --warning:UnusedImport:off --path:$path --nimcache:$nimcache $rdoccmd $docCmd $file" % [
       "nim", quoteShell(os.getAppFilename()),
       "backend", $d.conf.backend,
diff --git a/lib/packages/docutils/rstgen.nim b/lib/packages/docutils/rstgen.nim
index 93c8d29b1b..f16fd5717b 100644
--- a/lib/packages/docutils/rstgen.nim
+++ b/lib/packages/docutils/rstgen.nim
@@ -920,8 +920,11 @@ proc parseCodeBlockField(d: PDoc, n: PRstNode, params: var CodeBlockParams) =
   of "test":
     params.testCmd = n.getFieldValue.strip
     if params.testCmd.len == 0:
-      params.testCmd = "$nim r --backend:$backend $options" # see `interpSnippetCmd`
+      # factor with D20210224T221756. Note that `$docCmd` should appear before `$file`
+      # but after all other options, but currently `$options` merges both options and `$file` so it's tricky.
+      params.testCmd = "$nim r --backend:$backend --lib:$libpath $docCmd $options"
     else:
+      # consider whether `$docCmd` should be appended here too
       params.testCmd = unescape(params.testCmd)
   of "status", "exitcode":
     var status: int
diff --git a/tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim b/tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim
index 6232011cbf..9e56e91439 100644
--- a/tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim
+++ b/tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim
@@ -120,3 +120,13 @@ runnableExamples:
 
 # note: there are yet other examples where putting runnableExamples at module
 # scope is needed, for example when using an `include` before an `import`, etc.
+
+##[
+snippet:
+
+.. code-block:: Nim
+    :test:
+
+  doAssert defined(testFooExternal)
+
+]##