diff --git a/suitesparse.spec b/suitesparse.spec
index d5a5070..8a39777 100644
--- a/suitesparse.spec
+++ b/suitesparse.spec
@@ -389,6 +389,16 @@ pushd Include
   done
 popd
 
+# collect licenses in one place to ship as base package documentation
+rm -rf Licenses
+mkdir Licenses
+find */ -iname lesser.txt -o -iname license.txt -o -iname gpl.txt -o \
+    -iname license | while read f; do
+        b="${f%%/*}"
+        r="${f#$b}"
+        x="$(echo "$r" | sed 's|/doc/|/|gi')"
+        install -m0644 -D "$f" "./Licenses/$b/$x"
+    done
 
 %clean
 rm -rf ${RPM_BUILD_ROOT}
@@ -400,6 +410,7 @@ rm -rf ${RPM_BUILD_ROOT}
 
 %files
 %defattr(-,root,root)
+%doc Licenses
 %{_libdir}/lib*.so.*
 
 %files devel
@@ -416,6 +427,9 @@ rm -rf ${RPM_BUILD_ROOT}
 %doc Doc/*
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Feb 10 2014 Nils Philippsen <nils@redhat.com>
+- ship licenses as documentation in the base package
+
 * Thu Dec 05 2013 Nils Philippsen <nils@redhat.com> - 4.2.1-1
 - version 4.2.1