diff --git a/meta/classes/useradd.bbclass b/meta/classes/useradd.bbclass
index a850e9db6a..a2ad648938 100644
--- a/meta/classes/useradd.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/useradd.bbclass
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ fakeroot python populate_packages_prepend () {
         rdepends = d.getVar("RDEPENDS_%s" % pkg, True) or ""
         rdepends += ' ' + d.getVar('MLPREFIX') + 'base-passwd'
         rdepends += ' ' + d.getVar('MLPREFIX') + 'shadow'
+        # base-files is where the default /etc/skel is packaged
+        rdepends += ' ' + d.getVar('MLPREFIX') + 'base-files'
         d.setVar("RDEPENDS_%s" % pkg, rdepends)
 
     # Add the user/group preinstall scripts and RDEPENDS requirements