diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/populate_sdk_ext.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/populate_sdk_ext.bbclass
index 3019dad0f3b..de4799f013b 100644
--- a/meta/classes-recipe/populate_sdk_ext.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/populate_sdk_ext.bbclass
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ fakeroot python do_populate_sdk_ext() {
 
     # FIXME hopefully we can remove this restriction at some point, but the eSDK
     # can only be built for the primary (default) multiconfig
-    if d.getVar('BB_CURRENT_MC') != 'default':
+    if d.getVar('BB_CURRENT_MC') != '':
         bb.fatal('The extensible SDK can currently only be built for the default multiconfig.  Currently trying to build for %s.' % d.getVar('BB_CURRENT_MC'))
 
     # eSDK dependencies don't use the traditional variables and things don't work properly if they are set
diff --git a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
index ba7817b7e5e..8b607088c6e 100644
--- a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
+++ b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ OE_FRAGMENTS_PREFIX ?= "conf/fragments"
 OE_FRAGMENTS_METADATA_VARS ?= "BB_CONF_FRAGMENT_SUMMARY BB_CONF_FRAGMENT_DESCRIPTION"
 addfragments ${OE_FRAGMENTS_PREFIX} OE_FRAGMENTS OE_FRAGMENTS_METADATA_VARS
 
-require conf/multiconfig/${BB_CURRENT_MC}.conf
+require ${@"conf/multiconfig/${BB_CURRENT_MC}.conf" if "${BB_CURRENT_MC}" != "" else ""}
 include conf/machine/${MACHINE}.conf
 include conf/machine-sdk/${SDKMACHINE}.conf
 require conf/cve-check-map.conf
