diff --git a/poky/meta/classes/package_tar.bbclass b/poky/meta/classes/package_tar.bbclass
index ce3ab4c..d6c1b30 100644
--- a/poky/meta/classes/package_tar.bbclass
+++ b/poky/meta/classes/package_tar.bbclass
@@ -57,10 +57,8 @@
 
 python () {
     if d.getVar('PACKAGES') != '':
-        deps = (d.getVarFlag('do_package_write_tar', 'depends') or "").split()
-        deps.append('tar-native:do_populate_sysroot')
-        deps.append('virtual/fakeroot-native:do_populate_sysroot')
-        d.setVarFlag('do_package_write_tar', 'depends', " ".join(deps))
+        deps = ' tar-native:do_populate_sysroot virtual/fakeroot-native:do_populate_sysroot'
+        d.appendVarFlag('do_package_write_tar', 'depends', deps)
         d.setVarFlag('do_package_write_tar', 'fakeroot', "1")
 }