diff --git a/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass b/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass
index 9a8b02d4f6..b5c59ac593 100644
--- a/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ python multilib_virtclass_handler () {
         e.data.setVar("RECIPE_SYSROOT", "${WORKDIR}/recipe-sysroot")
         e.data.setVar("STAGING_DIR_TARGET", "${WORKDIR}/recipe-sysroot")
         e.data.setVar("STAGING_DIR_HOST", "${WORKDIR}/recipe-sysroot")
+        e.data.setVar("RECIPE_SYSROOT_MANIFEST_SUBDIR", "nativesdk-" + variant)
         e.data.setVar("MLPREFIX", variant + "-")
         override = ":virtclass-multilib-" + variant
         e.data.setVar("OVERRIDES", e.data.getVar("OVERRIDES", False) + override)
diff --git a/meta/classes/staging.bbclass b/meta/classes/staging.bbclass
index 4177e6cf05..21523c8f75 100644
--- a/meta/classes/staging.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/staging.bbclass
@@ -267,9 +267,10 @@ python extend_recipe_sysroot() {
     pn = d.getVar("PN")
     stagingdir = d.getVar("STAGING_DIR")
     sharedmanifests = d.getVar("COMPONENTS_DIR") + "/manifests"
-    mlprefix = d.getVar("MLPREFIX")
-    if mlprefix:
-        sharedmanifests = sharedmanifests + "/" + mlprefix
+    # only needed by multilib cross-canadian since it redefines RECIPE_SYSROOT
+    manifestprefix = d.getVar("RECIPE_SYSROOT_MANIFEST_SUBDIR")
+    if manifestprefix:
+        sharedmanifests = sharedmanifests + "/" + manifestprefix
     recipesysroot = d.getVar("RECIPE_SYSROOT")
     recipesysrootnative = d.getVar("RECIPE_SYSROOT_NATIVE")