diff --git a/package/pkg-golang.mk b/package/pkg-golang.mk
index 1fa0b001e0..8e27602d41 100644
--- a/package/pkg-golang.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-golang.mk
@@ -91,6 +91,15 @@ $(2)_DL_ENV += \
 	GOPROXY=direct \
 	$$($(2)_GO_ENV)
 
+# Because we append vendored info, we can't rely on the values being empty
+# once we eventually get into the generic-package infra. So, we duplicate
+# the heuristics here
+ifndef $(2)_LICENSE
+  ifdef $(3)_LICENSE
+    $(2)_LICENSE = $$($(3)_LICENSE)
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Due to vendoring, it is pretty likely that not all licenses are
 # listed in <pkg>_LICENSE. If the license is unset, it is "unknown"
 # so adding unknowns to some unknown is still some other unkown,