diff --git a/eclass/kernel-2.eclass b/eclass/kernel-2.eclass
index 48146b7284b9..fcc214a8f8d0 100644
--- a/eclass/kernel-2.eclass
+++ b/eclass/kernel-2.eclass
@@ -624,8 +624,9 @@ if [[ ${ETYPE} == sources ]]; then
 			IUSE="${IUSE} deblob"
 
 			# Reflect that kernels contain firmware blobs unless otherwise
-			# stripped
-			LICENSE="${LICENSE} !deblob? ( linux-firmware )"
+			# stripped. Starting with version 4.14, the whole firmware
+			# tree has been dropped from the kernel.
+			kernel_is lt 4 14 && LICENSE+=" !deblob? ( linux-firmware )"
 
 			DEPEND+=" deblob? ( ${PYTHON_DEPS} )"
 
@@ -654,10 +655,10 @@ if [[ ${ETYPE} == sources ]]; then
 					${DEBLOB_URI}
 					${DEBLOB_CHECK_URI}
 				)"
-		else
+		elif kernel_is lt 4 14; then
 			# We have no way to deblob older kernels, so just mark them as
 			# tainted with non-libre materials.
-			LICENSE="${LICENSE} linux-firmware"
+			LICENSE+=" linux-firmware"
 		fi
 	fi