diff --git a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
index f46ce34ad1..f3349f98e9 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
@@ -1409,6 +1409,18 @@ def _export_local_files(srctree, rd, destdir, srctreebase):
     updated = OrderedDict()
     added = OrderedDict()
     removed = OrderedDict()
+
+    # Get current branch and return early with empty lists
+    # if on one of the override branches
+    # (local files are provided only for the main branch and processing
+    # them against lists from recipe overrides will result in mismatches
+    # and broken modifications to recipes).
+    stdout, _ = bb.process.run('git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD',
+                               cwd=srctree)
+    branchname = stdout.rstrip()
+    if branchname.startswith(override_branch_prefix):
+        return (updated, added, removed)
+
     local_files_dir = os.path.join(srctreebase, 'oe-local-files')
     git_files = _git_ls_tree(srctree)
     if 'oe-local-files' in git_files: