diff --git a/meta/classes/base.bbclass b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
index 99748796e6..98b823e7eb 100644
--- a/meta/classes/base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ def pkgarch_mapping(d):
 def preferred_ml_updates(d):
     # If any PREFERRED_PROVIDER or PREFERRED_VERSION are set,
     # we need to mirror these variables in the multilib case;
-    # likewise the PNBLACKLIST flags.
     multilibs = d.getVar('MULTILIBS', True) or ""
     if not multilibs:
         return
@@ -154,21 +153,12 @@ def preferred_ml_updates(d):
 
     versions = []
     providers = []
-    blacklists = d.getVarFlags('PNBLACKLIST') or {}
     for v in d.keys():
         if v.startswith("PREFERRED_VERSION_"):
             versions.append(v)
         if v.startswith("PREFERRED_PROVIDER_"):
             providers.append(v)
 
-    for pkg, reason in blacklists.items():
-        if pkg.endswith(("-native", "-crosssdk")) or pkg.startswith(("nativesdk-", "virtual/nativesdk-")) or 'cross-canadian' in pkg:
-            continue
-        for p in prefixes:
-            newpkg = p + "-" + pkg
-            if not d.getVarFlag('PNBLACKLIST', newpkg, True):
-                d.setVarFlag('PNBLACKLIST', newpkg, reason)
-
     for v in versions:
         val = d.getVar(v, False)
         pkg = v.replace("PREFERRED_VERSION_", "")
diff --git a/meta/classes/blacklist.bbclass b/meta/classes/blacklist.bbclass
index 75abd99c29..a0141a82c0 100644
--- a/meta/classes/blacklist.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/blacklist.bbclass
@@ -12,6 +12,31 @@
 #   PNBLACKLIST[pn] = "message"
 #
 
+# Cope with PNBLACKLIST flags for multilib case
+addhandler blacklist_multilib_eventhandler
+blacklist_multilib_eventhandler[eventmask] = "bb.event.ConfigParsed"
+python blacklist_multilib_eventhandler() {
+    multilibs = e.data.getVar('MULTILIBS', True)
+    if not multilibs:
+        return
+
+    # this block has been copied from base.bbclass so keep it in sync
+    prefixes = []
+    for ext in multilibs.split():
+        eext = ext.split(':')
+        if len(eext) > 1 and eext[0] == 'multilib':
+            prefixes.append(eext[1])
+
+    blacklists = e.data.getVarFlags('PNBLACKLIST') or {}
+    for pkg, reason in blacklists.items():
+        if pkg.endswith(("-native", "-crosssdk")) or pkg.startswith(("nativesdk-", "virtual/nativesdk-")) or 'cross-canadian' in pkg:
+            continue
+        for p in prefixes:
+            newpkg = p + "-" + pkg
+            if not e.data.getVarFlag('PNBLACKLIST', newpkg, True):
+                e.data.setVarFlag('PNBLACKLIST', newpkg, reason)
+}
+
 python () {
     blacklist = d.getVarFlag('PNBLACKLIST', d.getVar('PN', True), True)