diff --git a/linux/Config.in b/linux/Config.in
index 7e2207e995..5ba117c212 100644
--- a/linux/Config.in
+++ b/linux/Config.in
@@ -146,6 +146,14 @@ config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VERSION
 	default BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_VERSION \
 		if BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_GIT || BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_HG || BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_SVN
 
+config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_LICENSE_FILES
+	string "Kernel license files" if BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_GIT || BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_HG || \
+		BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_SVN || BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_TARBALL
+	default "COPYING LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0 LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note"
+	help
+	  A space-separated list of license files related to the Linux
+	  kernel package.
+
 #
 # Patch selection
 #
diff --git a/linux/linux.mk b/linux/linux.mk
index 16762ac2e6..65affbfa7f 100644
--- a/linux/linux.mk
+++ b/linux/linux.mk
@@ -6,12 +6,8 @@
 
 LINUX_VERSION = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VERSION))
 LINUX_LICENSE = GPL-2.0
-ifeq ($(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_LATEST_VERSION),y)
-LINUX_LICENSE_FILES = \
-	COPYING \
-	LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0 \
-	LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note
-endif
+LINUX_LICENSE_FILES = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_LICENSE_FILES))
+
 LINUX_CPE_ID_VENDOR = linux
 LINUX_CPE_ID_PRODUCT = linux_kernel
 LINUX_CPE_ID_PREFIX = cpe:2.3:o