diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 8302fbd726..d9a5e06358 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -19,3 +19,7 @@
 [submodule "ext/doxygen-awesome-css"]
 	path = ext/doxygen-awesome-css
 	url = https://github.com/jothepro/doxygen-awesome-css.git
+[submodule "data/example-data"]
+	path = data/example_data
+	url = https://github.com/cantera/cantera-example-data
+	shallow = true
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 5d6342fbb5..4083ce2c48 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -317,6 +317,12 @@ config_options = [
         """Options passed to the 'sphinx_cmd' command line. Separate multiple
            options with spaces, for example, "-W --keep-going".""",
         "-W --keep-going"),
+    BoolOption(
+        "example_data",
+        """Install data files used in examples. These files will be accessible on the
+           Cantera data path using a prefix, such as 'example_data/mech.yaml'""",
+        True,
+    ),
     EnumOption(
         "system_eigen",
         """Select whether to use Eigen from a system installation ('y'), from a
@@ -2083,6 +2089,13 @@ elif env['OS'] == 'Darwin':
 else:
     env.PrependENVPath('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', Dir('#build/lib').abspath)
 
+
+if (env["example_data"]
+    and not list(Path("data/example_data").glob("*.yaml"))
+):
+    checkout_submodule("cantera-example-data", "data/example_data")
+
+
 if addInstallActions:
     # Put headers in place
     install(env.RecursiveInstall, '$inst_incdir', 'include/cantera')
@@ -2091,6 +2104,10 @@ if addInstallActions:
     for yaml in multi_glob(env, "data", "yaml"):
         install("$inst_datadir", yaml)
 
+    if env["example_data"]:
+        for yaml in multi_glob(env, "data/example_data", "yaml"):
+            install("$inst_datadir/example_data", yaml)
+
 
 if env['system_sundials'] == 'y':
     env['sundials_libs'] = ['sundials_cvodes', 'sundials_idas', 'sundials_nvecserial']
diff --git a/data/example_data b/data/example_data
new file mode 160000
index 0000000000..d5c340e8f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/example_data
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit d5c340e8f125a2660dc7f04cf35039f155d4b19e
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/SConscript b/interfaces/cython/SConscript
index 675d1aaa54..2e87af8410 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/SConscript
+++ b/interfaces/cython/SConscript
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ for yaml in multi_glob(localenv, "#data", "yaml"):
         localenv.Command(f"cantera/data/{yaml.name}", yaml.abspath,
                          Copy("$TARGET", "$SOURCE"))))
 
+if localenv["example_data"]:
+    for yaml in multi_glob(localenv, "#data/example_data", "yaml"):
+        dataFiles.append(build(
+            localenv.Command(f"cantera/data/example_data/{yaml.name}", yaml.abspath,
+                             Copy("$TARGET", "$SOURCE"))))
+
+
 # Install Python samples
 install(localenv.RecursiveInstall, "$inst_sampledir/python", "#samples/python")
 
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/setup.cfg.in b/interfaces/cython/setup.cfg.in
index b1ade6d497..a6beea6b27 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/setup.cfg.in
+++ b/interfaces/cython/setup.cfg.in
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ python_requires @py_requires_ver_str@
 packages =
     cantera
     cantera.data
+    cantera.data.example_data
     cantera.test
     cantera.examples
     cantera.with_units
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ packages =
 # we have to treat the module as package data.
 cantera = *.pxd, *.dll, *@py_module_ext@
 cantera.data = *.*
+cantera.data.example_data = *.*
 cantera.test = *.txt
 cantera.examples = *.txt