diff --git a/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass b/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass
index af5f1ed41d..61049d76fe 100644
--- a/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-global/license.bbclass
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ python do_populate_lic() {
 
     # The base directory we wrangle licenses to
     destdir = os.path.join(d.getVar('LICSSTATEDIR'), d.getVar('LICENSE_DEPLOY_PATHCOMPONENT'), d.getVar('PN'))
-    copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir)
+    copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir, d)
     info = get_recipe_info(d)
     with open(os.path.join(destdir, "recipeinfo"), "w") as f:
         for key in sorted(info.keys()):
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ python perform_packagecopy:prepend () {
 
         # LICENSE_FILES_DIRECTORY starts with '/' so os.path.join cannot be used to join D and LICENSE_FILES_DIRECTORY
         destdir = d.getVar('D') + os.path.join(d.getVar('LICENSE_FILES_DIRECTORY'), d.getVar('PN'))
-        copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir)
+        copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir, d)
         add_package_and_files(d)
 }
 perform_packagecopy[vardeps] += "LICENSE_CREATE_PACKAGE"
@@ -76,10 +76,11 @@ def add_package_and_files(d):
         d.setVar('PACKAGES', "%s %s" % (pn_lic, packages))
         d.setVar('FILES:' + pn_lic, files)
 
-def copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir):
+def copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir, d):
     import shutil
     import errno
 
+    tmpdir = d.getVar("TMPDIR")
     bb.utils.mkdirhier(destdir)
     for (basename, path, beginline, endline) in lic_files_paths:
         try:
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ def copy_license_files(lic_files_paths, destdir):
                 os.remove(dst)
             if os.path.islink(src):
                 src = os.path.realpath(src)
-            canlink = os.access(src, os.W_OK) and (os.stat(src).st_dev == os.stat(destdir).st_dev) and beginline is None and endline is None
+            canlink = src.startswith(tmpdir) and os.access(src, os.W_OK) and (os.stat(src).st_dev == os.stat(destdir).st_dev) and beginline is None and endline is None
             if canlink:
                 try:
                     os.link(src, dst)