diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index 64f9b5f03e..b113684fcd 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -644,6 +644,19 @@ $(1)-legal-info:
 	$$(foreach hook,$$($(2)_PRE_LEGAL_INFO_HOOKS),$$(call $$(hook))$$(sep))
 ifneq ($$(call qstrip,$$($(2)_SOURCE)),)
 
+# Save license files if defined
+# We save the license files for any kind of package: normal, local,
+# overridden, or non-redistributable alike.
+# The reason to save license files even for no-redistribute packages
+# is that the license still applies to the files distributed as part
+# of the rootfs, even if the sources are not themselves redistributed.
+ifeq ($$(call qstrip,$$($(2)_LICENSE_FILES)),)
+	@$$(call legal-license-nofiles,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4)))
+	@$$(call legal-warning-pkg,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),cannot save license ($(2)_LICENSE_FILES not defined))
+else
+	@$$(foreach F,$$($(2)_LICENSE_FILES),$$(call legal-license-file,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),$$(F),$$($(2)_DIR)/$$(F),$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4)))$$(sep))
+endif # license files
+
 ifeq ($$($(2)_SITE_METHOD),local)
 # Packages without a tarball: don't save and warn
 	@$$(call legal-warning-pkg-savednothing,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),local)
@@ -654,14 +667,6 @@ else ifneq ($$($(2)_OVERRIDE_SRCDIR),)
 else
 # Other packages
 
-# Save license files if defined
-ifeq ($$(call qstrip,$$($(2)_LICENSE_FILES)),)
-	@$$(call legal-license-nofiles,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4)))
-	@$$(call legal-warning-pkg,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),cannot save license ($(2)_LICENSE_FILES not defined))
-else
-	@$$(foreach F,$$($(2)_LICENSE_FILES),$$(call legal-license-file,$$($(2)_RAWNAME),$$(F),$$($(2)_DIR)/$$(F),$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4)))$$(sep))
-endif # license files
-
 ifeq ($$($(2)_REDISTRIBUTE),YES)
 # Copy the source tarball (just hardlink if possible)
 	@cp -l $$(DL_DIR)/$$($(2)_SOURCE) $$(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_$$(call UPPERCASE,$(4))) 2>/dev/null || \