diff --git a/meta/conf/distro/include/poky-default.inc b/meta/conf/distro/include/poky-default.inc
index 0df5cf680a..d7d70261fb 100644
--- a/meta/conf/distro/include/poky-default.inc
+++ b/meta/conf/distro/include/poky-default.inc
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ PREFERRED_VERSION_glibc-nativesdk ?= "${GLIBCVERSION}"
 PREFERRED_VERSION_glibc-initial ?= "${GLIBCVERSION}"
 PREFERRED_VERSION_glibc-initial-nativesdk ?= "${GLIBCVERSION}"
 PREFERRED_VERSION_elfutils ?= "0.148"
+# don't use version earlier than 1.4 for gzip-native, as it's necessary for
+# some packages using an archive format incompatible with earlier gzip
+PREFERRED_VERSION_gzip-native ?= "1.4"
 
 require conf/distro/include/as-needed.inc
 
diff --git a/meta/packages/expat/expat.inc b/meta/packages/expat/expat.inc
index d47e340629..8c5010e481 100644
--- a/meta/packages/expat/expat.inc
+++ b/meta/packages/expat/expat.inc
@@ -3,7 +3,17 @@ HOMEPAGE = "http://expat.sourceforge.net/"
 SECTION = "libs"
 LICENSE = "MIT"
 
-SRC_URI = "${SOURCEFORGE_MIRROR}/expat/expat-${PV}.tar.gz"
+SRC_URI = "${SOURCEFORGE_MIRROR}/expat/expat-${PV}.tar.gz \
+           file://autotools.patch"
 
-inherit autotools
+inherit autotools lib_package
 
+# This package uses an archive format known to have issue with some
+# versions of gzip
+do_unpack[depends] += "gzip-native:do_populate_sysroot"
+
+do_configure_prepend () {
+	rm -f ${S}/conftools/libtool.m4
+}
+
+BBCLASSEXTEND = "native nativesdk"
diff --git a/meta/packages/expat/expat_2.0.1.bb b/meta/packages/expat/expat_2.0.1.bb
index da2682e41f..9983fe5838 100644
--- a/meta/packages/expat/expat_2.0.1.bb
+++ b/meta/packages/expat/expat_2.0.1.bb
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
 require expat.inc
+
 PR = "r0"
-
-SRC_URI += "file://autotools.patch;"
-
-inherit lib_package
-
-do_configure_prepend () {
-	rm -f ${S}/conftools/libtool.m4
-}
-
-BBCLASSEXTEND = "native nativesdk"