diff --git a/lib/default.nix b/lib/default.nix
index ecf4fbb75339..d637ca203f0e 100644
--- a/lib/default.nix
+++ b/lib/default.nix
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ let
     inherit (self.derivations) lazyDerivation optionalDrvAttr;
     inherit (self.meta) addMetaAttrs dontDistribute setName updateName
       appendToName mapDerivationAttrset setPrio lowPrio lowPrioSet hiPrio
-      hiPrioSet getLicenseFromSpdxId getExe getExe';
+      hiPrioSet getLicenseFromSpdxId getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr getExe getExe';
     inherit (self.filesystem) pathType pathIsDirectory pathIsRegularFile
       packagesFromDirectoryRecursive;
     inherit (self.sources) cleanSourceFilter
diff --git a/lib/meta.nix b/lib/meta.nix
index 8fa93d40d595..65d7bf99191a 100644
--- a/lib/meta.nix
+++ b/lib/meta.nix
@@ -287,10 +287,10 @@ rec {
     all (elem: !platformMatch platform elem) (pkg.meta.badPlatforms or []);
 
   /**
-    Get the corresponding attribute in lib.licenses
-    from the SPDX ID.
-    For SPDX IDs, see
-    https://spdx.org/licenses
+    Get the corresponding attribute in lib.licenses from the SPDX ID
+    or warn and fallback to `{ shortName = <license string>; }`.
+
+    For SPDX IDs, see https://spdx.org/licenses
 
     # Type
 
@@ -315,15 +315,57 @@ rec {
     :::
   */
   getLicenseFromSpdxId =
-    let
-      spdxLicenses = lib.mapAttrs (id: ls: assert lib.length ls == 1; builtins.head ls)
-        (lib.groupBy (l: lib.toLower l.spdxId) (lib.filter (l: l ? spdxId) (lib.attrValues lib.licenses)));
-    in licstr:
-      spdxLicenses.${ lib.toLower licstr } or (
+    licstr:
+      getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr licstr (
         lib.warn "getLicenseFromSpdxId: No license matches the given SPDX ID: ${licstr}"
         { shortName = licstr; }
       );
 
+  /**
+    Get the corresponding attribute in lib.licenses from the SPDX ID
+    or fallback to the given default value.
+
+    For SPDX IDs, see https://spdx.org/licenses
+
+    # Inputs
+
+    `licstr`
+    : 1\. SPDX ID string to find a matching license
+
+    `default`
+    : 2\. Fallback value when a match is not found
+
+    # Type
+
+    ```
+    getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr :: str -> Any -> Any
+    ```
+
+    # Examples
+    :::{.example}
+    ## `lib.meta.getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr` usage example
+
+    ```nix
+    lib.getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MIT" null == lib.licenses.mit
+    => true
+    lib.getLicenseFromSpdxId "mIt" null == lib.licenses.mit
+    => true
+    lib.getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MY LICENSE" lib.licenses.free == lib.licenses.free
+    => true
+    lib.getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MY LICENSE" null
+    => null
+    lib.getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MY LICENSE" (builtins.throw "No SPDX ID matches MY LICENSE")
+    => error: No SPDX ID matches MY LICENSE
+    ```
+    :::
+  */
+  getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr =
+    let
+      spdxLicenses = lib.mapAttrs (id: ls: assert lib.length ls == 1; builtins.head ls)
+        (lib.groupBy (l: lib.toLower l.spdxId) (lib.filter (l: l ? spdxId) (lib.attrValues lib.licenses)));
+    in licstr: default:
+      spdxLicenses.${ lib.toLower licstr } or default;
+
   /**
     Get the path to the main program of a package based on meta.mainProgram
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/misc.nix b/lib/tests/misc.nix
index dd12923e636e..4294d29b47ef 100644
--- a/lib/tests/misc.nix
+++ b/lib/tests/misc.nix
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ let
     genList
     getExe
     getExe'
+    getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr
     groupBy
     groupBy'
     hasAttrByPath
@@ -2323,6 +2324,25 @@ runTests {
     getExe' { type = "derivation"; } "dir/executable"
   );
 
+  testGetLicenseFromSpdxIdOrExamples = {
+    expr = [
+      (getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MIT" null)
+      (getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "mIt" null)
+      (getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MY LICENSE" lib.licenses.free)
+      (getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MY LICENSE" null)
+    ];
+    expected = [
+      lib.licenses.mit
+      lib.licenses.mit
+      lib.licenses.free
+      null
+    ];
+  };
+
+  testGetLicenseFromSpdxIdOrThrow = testingThrow (
+    getLicenseFromSpdxIdOr "MY LICENSE" (throw "No SPDX ID matches MY LICENSE")
+  );
+
   testPlatformMatch = {
     expr = meta.platformMatch { system = "x86_64-linux"; } "x86_64-linux";
     expected = true;