diff --git a/meta/classes/flit_core.bbclass b/meta/classes/flit_core.bbclass
index 3481bb5089..7b578967a9 100644
--- a/meta/classes/flit_core.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/flit_core.bbclass
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ flit_core_do_configure () {
     :
 }
 
+# Where to execute the build process from
+PEP517_SOURCE_PATH ?= "${S}"
+
 # TODO: ideally this uses pypa/build
 flit_core_do_compile () {
+    cd ${PEP517_SOURCE_PATH}
     nativepython3 -mflit_core.wheel --outdir ${PIP_INSTALL_DIST_PATH}
 }
 do_compile[cleandirs] += "${PIP_INSTALL_DIST_PATH}"