diff --git a/meta/classes/setuptools3.bbclass b/meta/classes/setuptools3.bbclass
index 12561340b07..12d662fb49c 100644
--- a/meta/classes/setuptools3.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/setuptools3.bbclass
@@ -18,6 +18,38 @@ setuptools3_do_configure() {
     :
 }
 
+SETUPTOOLS_SKIP_BUILD_BACKEND_CHECK ?= "0"
+
+python check_for_pyprojecttoml_build_backend() {
+    import os
+    import tomli
+    from pathlib import Path
+
+    if d.getVar('SETUPTOOLS_SKIP_BUILD_BACKEND_CHECK') == "1":
+        bb.debug(3, "Skipping check for build-backend in pyproject.toml")
+        return 0
+    pyprojecttoml_file = Path(d.getVar('S'), 'pyproject.toml')
+    if pyprojecttoml_file.exists():
+        bb.debug(3, "pyproject.toml found: %s" % pyprojecttoml_file)
+        with open(pyprojecttoml_file, "rb") as f:
+            pyprojecttoml_dict = tomli.load(f)
+            build_system = pyprojecttoml_dict["build-system"]
+            if build_system:
+                bb.debug(3, "[build-system] found in pyproject.toml")
+                backend = build_system.get('build-backend')
+                if backend:
+                    bb.debug(3, "build-backend found: %s" % backend)
+                if backend == "flit_core.buildapi":
+                    bb.warn("The source has a pyproject.toml which declares 'flit_core.buildapi' as a build backend, please consider 'inherit flit_core' instead of inheriting setuptools3.")
+                elif backend == "setuptools.build_meta":
+                    bb.warn("The source has a pyproject.toml which declares 'setuptools.build_meta' as a build backend, please consider 'inherit setuptools_build_meta' instead of inheriting setuptools3.")
+                elif backend == "poetry.core.masonry.api":
+                    bb.warn("The source has a pyproject.toml which declares 'poetry.core.masonry.api' as a build backend, please consider 'inherit poetry_core' from meta-python instead of inheriting setuptools3.")
+                else:
+                    bb.warn("The source has a pyproject.toml which declares '%s' as a build backend, but this is not currently supported in oe-core." % backend)
+}
+do_configure[prefuncs] += "check_for_pyprojecttoml_build_backend"
+
 setuptools3_do_compile() {
         cd ${SETUPTOOLS_SETUP_PATH}
         NO_FETCH_BUILD=1 \