diff --git a/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass b/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass
index 4e39ec1d44e..043715fcc36 100644
--- a/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass
@@ -18,8 +18,14 @@ LICENSE_CREATE_PACKAGE ??= "0"
 LICENSE_PACKAGE_SUFFIX ??= "-lic"
 LICENSE_FILES_DIRECTORY ??= "${datadir}/licenses/"
 
+LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT = "${SSTATE_PKGARCH}"
+LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT:class-cross = "native"
+LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT:class-native = "native"
+# Ensure the *value* of SSTATE_PKGARCH is captured as it is used in the output paths
+LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT[vardepvalue] += "${LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT}"
+
 addtask populate_lic after do_patch before do_build
-do_populate_lic[dirs] = "${LICSSTATEDIR}/${PN}"
+do_populate_lic[dirs] = "${LICSSTATEDIR}/${LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT}/${PN}"
 do_populate_lic[cleandirs] = "${LICSSTATEDIR}"
 
 python do_populate_lic() {
@@ -29,7 +35,7 @@ python do_populate_lic() {
     lic_files_paths = find_license_files(d)
 
     # The base directory we wrangle licenses to
-    destdir = os.path.join(d.getVar('LICSSTATEDIR'), d.getVar('SSTATE_PKGARCH'), d.getVar('PN'))
+    destdir = os.path.join(d.getVar('LICSSTATEDIR'), d.getVar('LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT'), d.getVar('PN'))
     copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir)
     info = get_recipe_info(d)
     with open(os.path.join(destdir, "recipeinfo"), "w") as f: