diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index a2323707c3..159eb7dd7b 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ if ("32".equals(System.getProperty("sun.arch.data.model"))) {
  * Identify supported Python command
  ***************************************************************************************/
 project.ext.PYTHON3 = findPython3(true)
-project.ext.PYTHON_DEPS = new HashSet<String>()
+project.ext.PYTHON_DEPS = new HashMap<Project, Set<File>>()
 
 /*********************************************************************************
  *  Define the location of bin repo
diff --git a/gradle/hasPythonPackage.gradle b/gradle/hasPythonPackage.gradle
index 14516ce0b0..6e7ea6d6cd 100644
--- a/gradle/hasPythonPackage.gradle
+++ b/gradle/hasPythonPackage.gradle
@@ -87,8 +87,13 @@ rootProject.assembleDistribution {
 }
 
 ext.distributePyDep = { name ->
+	Set<File> wheelFiles = PYTHON_DEPS.get(project)
+	if (wheelFiles == null) {
+		wheelFiles = new HashSet<>()
+		PYTHON_DEPS.put(project, wheelFiles)
+	}
     File dep = findPyDep(name)
-    PYTHON_DEPS.add(dep)
+    wheelFiles.add(dep)
     def zipPath = getZipPath(project) 
     rootProject.assembleDistribution {
         into ("${zipPath}/pypkg/dist") {
diff --git a/gradle/support/ip.gradle b/gradle/support/ip.gradle
index be221a90d9..bedd453246 100644
--- a/gradle/support/ip.gradle
+++ b/gradle/support/ip.gradle
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ task ip {
 		// gets the external libs from gradle and verifies they are accounted for in the Module.manifest file
 		checkExternalLibsInMap(moduleManifestIpMap, p)
 		
+		// gets the declared external python wheels and verifies they are accounted for in the Module.manifest file
+		checkExternalPythonWheelsInMap(moduleManifestIpMap, p)
+		
 		// adds the ip info from the Module.manifest file to the map generated from scanning the module files.
 		addModuleManifestIp(ipToFileMap, moduleManifestIpMap)
 		
@@ -107,6 +110,18 @@ def checkExternalLibsInMap(Map<String, String> map, Project project) {
 	}
 }
 
+/**********************************************************************************
+ * Gets the python dependences and makes sure each external wheel is accounted for in
+ * the map from the Module.manifest file
+ *********************************************************************************/
+def checkExternalPythonWheelsInMap(Map<String, String> map, Project project) {
+	PYTHON_DEPS.getOrDefault(project, List.of()).each { dep ->
+		String name = dep.getName()  // get just the filename without the path
+		String relativePath = "pypkg/dist/"+name;
+		assert map.containsKey(relativePath) : "No License specified for external python wheel: "+relativePath+ " in module "+project.projectDir
+	}
+}
+
 /*********************************************************************************
  * Examines all the files in the module, reads their ip from the header, verifies
  * that the ip is allowed, and adds an entry to a mapping of the ip to a list of