diff --git a/meta/classes-global/sanity.bbclass b/meta/classes-global/sanity.bbclass
index 180c6b77d8..1d242f0f0a 100644
--- a/meta/classes-global/sanity.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-global/sanity.bbclass
@@ -495,12 +495,15 @@ def check_gcc_version(sanity_data):
 # Tar version 1.24 and onwards handle overwriting symlinks correctly
 # but earlier versions do not; this needs to work properly for sstate
 # Version 1.28 is needed so opkg-build works correctly when reproducible builds are enabled
+# Gtar is assumed at to be used as tar in poky
 def check_tar_version(sanity_data):
     import subprocess
     try:
         result = subprocess.check_output(["tar", "--version"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT).decode('utf-8')
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
         return "Unable to execute tar --version, exit code %d\n%s\n" % (e.returncode, e.output)
+    if not "GNU" in result:
+        return "Your version of tar is not gtar. Please install gtar (you could use the project's buildtools-tarball from our last release or use scripts/install-buildtools).\n"
     version = result.split()[3]
     if bb.utils.vercmp_string_op(version, "1.28", "<"):
         return "Your version of tar is older than 1.28 and does not have the support needed to enable reproducible builds. Please install a newer version of tar (you could use the project's buildtools-tarball from our last release or use scripts/install-buildtools).\n"