diff --git a/meta-arm/classes/apply_local_src_patches.bbclass b/meta-arm/classes/apply_local_src_patches.bbclass
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..daa85f4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta-arm/classes/apply_local_src_patches.bbclass
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# This class is to be inherited by recipes where there are patches located inside
+# the fetched source code which need to be applied.
+
+# The following variables need to be set:
+# LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR is the directory from where the patches are located
+# LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_DEST_DIR is the directory where the patches will be applied
+
+do_patch[depends] += "quilt-native:do_populate_sysroot"
+
+LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR ??= ""
+LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_DEST_DIR ??= "${LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR}"
+
+python() {
+    if not d.getVar('LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR'):
+        bb.warn("LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR variable needs to be set.")
+}
+
+apply_local_src_patches() {
+
+    input_dir="${LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR}"
+    dest_dir="${LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_DEST_DIR}"
+
+    if [ ! -d "$input_dir" ] ; then
+        bbfatal "LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_INPUT_DIR=$input_dir not found."
+    fi
+
+    if [ ! -d "$dest_dir" ] ; then
+        bbfatal "LOCAL_SRC_PATCHES_DEST_DIR=$dest_dir not found."
+    fi
+
+    cd $dest_dir
+    export QUILT_PATCHES=./patches-extra
+    mkdir -p patches-extra
+
+    for patch in $(find $input_dir -type f -name *.patch -or -name *.diff)
+    do
+        patch_basename=`basename $patch`
+        if ! quilt applied $patch_basename >/dev/null ; then
+            bbdebug 1 "Applying $patch_basename in $dest_dir."
+            echo $patch_basename >> patches-extra/series
+            cp $patch patches-extra
+            quilt push $patch_basename
+        else
+            bbdebug 1 "$patch_basename already applied."
+        fi
+    done
+}
+do_patch[postfuncs] += "apply_local_src_patches"