diff --git a/lib/checkLicense.js b/lib/checkLicense.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f7ba1c2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/checkLicense.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/********************************************************************************
+ * Copyright (c) 2022 TypeFox and others
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
+ ********************************************************************************/
+
+// @ts-check
+const checkLicense = require("osi-license-checker");
+const fs = require('fs');
+const octokit = require('octokit');
+
+/**
+ * Check if the extension has an OSI-approved open-source license
+ * @param {URL} url
+ * @param {string} owner
+ * @param {string} repo
+ * @param {octokit.Octokit} octokit a preauthenthicated octokit client
+ * @param {string} packagePath
+ */
+exports.checkLicense = async function(url, owner, repo, octokit, packagePath) {
+  try {
+    const manifest = JSON.parse(
+      await fs.promises.readFile(packagePath, "utf-8")
+    );
+    const license = manifest.license;
+    if (!license) {
+      if (!checkLicense.checkShorthand(license)) {
+        console.error(`Not an OSS license: ${license}`);
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      if (url.hostname !== "github.com") {
+        console.error("Can' check license on non-github repositories ");
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      const ghLicenseResponse = (
+        await octokit.rest.licenses.getForRepo({ owner, repo })
+      ).data.license;
+      if (!checkLicense.checkShorthand(ghLicenseResponse.spdx_id)) {
+        console.error(
+          `Not an OSS license: ${ghLicenseResponse.name} (${ghLicenseResponse.spdx_id})`
+        );
+        return false;
+      }
+      return true;
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("Can't get license", e);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/resolveExtension.js b/lib/resolveExtension.js
index 8d1f0d3be..e73bc88fb 100644
--- a/lib/resolveExtension.js
+++ b/lib/resolveExtension.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const Octokit = require('octokit').Octokit;
 const readVSIXPackage = require('vsce/out/zip').readVSIXPackage;
 const download = require('download');
 const exec = require('./exec');
+const { checkLicense } = require('./checkLicense');
 
 const token = process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN;
 if (!token) {
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ exports.resolveExtension = async function ({ id, repository, location }, ms) {
   await exec(`git clone --filter=blob:none --recurse-submodules ${repository} ${repoPath}`, { quiet: true });
 
   const packagePath = [repoPath, location, 'package.json'].filter(p => !!p).join('/');
+
   /**
    * @param {string} ref
    * @returns {Promise<string | undefined>}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4e497c461..dad25a124 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     "download": "^8.0.0",
     "minimist": "^1.2.5",
     "octokit": "^1.7.0",
+    "osi-license-checker": "latest",
     "ovsx": "latest",
     "semver": "^7.1.3",
     "vsce": "^2.3.0"
diff --git a/publish-extension.js b/publish-extension.js
index 6feeb56aa..8aab75dc4 100644
--- a/publish-extension.js
+++ b/publish-extension.js
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ const path = require('path');
 const semver = require('semver');
 const exec = require('./lib/exec');
 const { createVSIX } = require('vsce');
+const { checkLicense } = require('./lib/checkLicense');
+const { Octokit } = require('octokit');
+
+const token = process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN;
+if (!token) {
+  throw new Error("GITHUB_TOKEN env var is not set");
+}
+const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: token });
 
 (async () => {
     /**
@@ -32,6 +40,11 @@ const { createVSIX } = require('vsce');
             packagePath = path.join(packagePath, extension.location);
         }
 
+        const [owner, repo] = extension.repository.slice(1).split("/");
+        if (!(await checkLicense(new URL(extension.repository), owner, repo, octokit, packagePath+'/package.json'))) {
+            process.exit(1);
+        }
+
         /** @type {import('ovsx').PublishOptions} */
         let options;
         if (context.file) {