diff --git a/meta/classes/cpan.bbclass b/meta/classes/cpan.bbclass
index bef9e82685..7088039fa0 100644
--- a/meta/classes/cpan.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/cpan.bbclass
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ export PERLHOSTLIB = "${STAGING_LIBDIR_NATIVE}/perl-native/perl/${@get_perl_vers
 cpan_do_configure () {
 	export PERL5LIB="${PERL_ARCHLIB}"
 	yes '' | perl ${EXTRA_PERLFLAGS} Makefile.PL ${EXTRA_CPANFLAGS}
+
+	# Makefile.PLs can exit with success without generating a
+	# Makefile, e.g. in cases of missing configure time
+	# dependencies. This is considered a best practice by
+	# cpantesters.org. See:
+	#  * http://wiki.cpantesters.org/wiki/CPANAuthorNotes
+	#  * http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.qa/2008/08/msg11236.html
+	[ -e Makefile ] || bbfatal "No Makefile was generated by Makefile.PL"
+
 	if [ "${BUILD_SYS}" != "${HOST_SYS}" ]; then
 		. ${STAGING_LIBDIR}${PERL_OWN_DIR}/perl/config.sh
 		# Use find since there can be a Makefile generated for each Makefile.PL