diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-vars.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-vars.bbclass
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1acfeb97ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/kernel-vars.bbclass
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#
+# Copyright OpenEmbedded Contributors
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+#
+
+KERNEL_PACKAGE_NAME ??= "kernel"