diff --git a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
index b7bc74887b69..c9317bc9722a 100644
--- a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
+++ b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ OES_BITBAKE_CONF = "1"
 
 MACHINE_FEATURES:append = " ${@oe.utils.filter_default_features('MACHINE_FEATURES', d)}"
 SDK_MACHINE_FEATURES ?= ""
-SDK_FEATURES ?= ""
+SDK_FEATURES ?= "qemu"
 
 DISTRO_FEATURES:append = " ${@oe.utils.filter_default_features('DISTRO_FEATURES', d)}"
 
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb b/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb
index c2974a57fe3e..7205599288a2 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/packagegroups/nativesdk-packagegroup-sdk-host.bb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ PACKAGEGROUP_DISABLE_COMPLEMENTARY = "1"
 # build some recent linux kernels (5.14+) for arm
 RDEPENDS:${PN} = "\
     nativesdk-pkgconfig \
-    ${@'nativesdk-qemu nativesdk-qemu-helper' if d.getVar('SDK_ARCH') in ['x86_64', 'aarch64', 'ppc64', 'ppc64le', 'riscv64', 'loongarch64', 'mips64', 's390x', 'sparc64'] else ''} \
+    ${@'nativesdk-qemu nativesdk-qemu-helper' if bb.utils.contains('SDK_FEATURES', 'qemu', True, False, d) and d.getVar('SDK_ARCH') in ['x86_64', 'aarch64', 'ppc64', 'ppc64le', 'riscv64', 'loongarch64', 'mips64', 's390x', 'sparc64'] else ''} \
     nativesdk-pseudo \
     nativesdk-unfs3 \
     nativesdk-opkg \