diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/context.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/context.py
index acc3b073bd11..5eb4cc44fd3c 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/context.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/context.py
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ class OESelftestTestContext(OETestContext):
                 bblayers_abspath = [os.path.abspath(path) for path in bblayers.split()]
                 with open("%s/conf/bblayers.conf" % newbuilddir, "a") as f:
                     newbblayers = "# new bblayers to be used by selftest in the new build dir '%s'\n" % newbuilddir
+                    newbblayers += 'unset BBLAYERS\n'
                     newbblayers += 'BBLAYERS = "%s"\n' % ' '.join(bblayers_abspath)
                     f.write(newbblayers)