diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb b/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb
index 51e48f250b19..37218824171f 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ inherit_defer nativesdk
 
 PACKAGEGROUP_DISABLE_COMPLEMENTARY = "1"
 
+# wic is useful from an installed SDK for assembling or inspecting a wic
+# image, but it is not needed by every SDK, so it is opt-in. Set
+# SDK_INCLUDE_WIC = "yes" to add it (it pulls in the tools it invokes).
+SDK_INCLUDE_WIC ?= "no"
+
 # autoconf pulls in nativesdk-perl but perl-module-integer is needed to 
 # build some recent linux kernels (5.14+) for arm
 RDEPENDS:${PN} = "\
@@ -29,6 +34,7 @@ RDEPENDS:${PN} = "\
     nativesdk-bison \
     nativesdk-flex \
     nativesdk-perl-module-integer \
+    ${@'nativesdk-wic' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('SDK_INCLUDE_WIC')) else ''} \
     "
 
 RDEPENDS:${PN}:darwin = "\