diff --git a/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass b/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass
index fb03fca..8187e18 100644
--- a/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/multilib.bbclass
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ python multilib_virtclass_handler () {
     if cls != "multilib" or not variant:
         return
 
+    e.data.setVar('STAGING_KERNEL_DIR', e.data.getVar('STAGING_KERNEL_DIR', True))
+
     # There should only be one kernel in multilib configs
     if bb.data.inherits_class('kernel', e.data) or bb.data.inherits_class('module-base', e.data):
         raise bb.parse.SkipPackage("We shouldn't have multilib variants for the kernel")
diff --git a/meta/conf/multilib.conf b/meta/conf/multilib.conf
index ea5ed71..b22a4cb 100644
--- a/meta/conf/multilib.conf
+++ b/meta/conf/multilib.conf
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ MULTILIB_SAVE_VARNAME = "DEFAULTTUNE"
 
 MULTILIBS ??= "multilib:lib32"
 
-STAGING_KERNEL_DIR := "${STAGING_KERNEL_DIR}"
 STAGING_DIR_HOST = "${STAGING_DIR}/${MLPREFIX}${MACHINE}"
 STAGING_DIR_TARGET = "${STAGING_DIR}/${MLPREFIX}${MACHINE}"