diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index 4a011cceea..64f9b5f03e 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -620,11 +620,18 @@ $(2)_MANIFEST_LICENSE_FILES = $$($(2)_LICENSE_FILES)
 endif
 $(2)_MANIFEST_LICENSE_FILES ?= not saved
 
+# If the package declares _LICENSE_FILES, we need to extract it,
+# for overriden, local or normal remote packages alike, whether
+# we want to redistribute it or not.
+ifneq ($$($(2)_LICENSE_FILES),)
+$(1)-legal-info: $(1)-extract
+endif
+
 ifeq ($$($(2)_REDISTRIBUTE),YES)
 ifneq ($$($(2)_SITE_METHOD),local)
 ifneq ($$($(2)_SITE_METHOD),override)
-# Packages that have a tarball need it downloaded and extracted beforehand
-$(1)-legal-info: $(1)-extract $$(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4)))
+# Packages that have a tarball need it downloaded beforehand
+$(1)-legal-info: $(1)-source $$(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4)))
 $(2)_MANIFEST_TARBALL = $$($(2)_SOURCE)
 endif
 endif