diff --git a/package/pkg-luarocks.mk b/package/pkg-luarocks.mk
index aa83e74a0e..08ea9b801a 100644
--- a/package/pkg-luarocks.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-luarocks.mk
@@ -44,12 +44,15 @@ $(2)_SITE		?= $$(call qstrip,$$(BR2_LUAROCKS_MIRROR))
 $(2)_DEPENDENCIES	+= host-luarocks luainterpreter
 
 #
-# Extract step
+# Extract step. Extract into a temporary dir and move the relevant part to the
+# source dir.
 #
 ifndef $(2)_EXTRACT_CMDS
 define $(2)_EXTRACT_CMDS
-	cd $$($(2)_DIR)/.. && \
+	mkdir -p $$($(2)_DIR)/luarocks-extract
+	cd $$($(2)_DIR)/luarocks-extract && \
 		$$(LUAROCKS_RUN_ENV) $$(LUAROCKS_RUN_CMD) unpack --force $$(DL_DIR)/$$($(2)_SOURCE)
+	mv $$($(2)_DIR)/luarocks-extract/*/* $$($(2)_DIR)
 endef
 endif