diff --git a/meta/classes/base.bbclass b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
index 0ee9d2e710..ac97a35c4c 100644
--- a/meta/classes/base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
@@ -486,12 +486,13 @@ python () {
     if license == "INVALID":
         bb.fatal('This recipe does not have the LICENSE field set (%s)' % pn)
 
-    unmatched_license_flag = check_license_flags(d)
-    if unmatched_license_flag:
-        bb.debug(1, "Skipping %s because it has a restricted license not"
-             " whitelisted in LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST" % pn)
-        raise bb.parse.SkipPackage("because it has a restricted license not"
-             " whitelisted in LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST")
+    if bb.data.inherits_class('license', d):
+        unmatched_license_flag = check_license_flags(d)
+        if unmatched_license_flag:
+            bb.debug(1, "Skipping %s because it has a restricted license not"
+                 " whitelisted in LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST" % pn)
+            raise bb.parse.SkipPackage("because it has a restricted license not"
+                 " whitelisted in LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST")
 
     # If we're building a target package we need to use fakeroot (pseudo)
     # in order to capture permissions, owners, groups and special files