diff --git a/R/check_description.R b/R/check_description.R
index b32127e4..2301a779 100644
--- a/R/check_description.R
+++ b/R/check_description.R
@@ -273,12 +273,12 @@ Please send a pull request if you need support for this license.",
     official <- official[-3]
     current <- current[-3]
   }
-  problems <- c(
-      problems,
-      "LICENSE.md doesn't match the version in the checklist package"[
-        (length(current) != length(official)) || any(current != official)
-      ]
+  if ((length(current) != length(official)) || any(current != official)) {
+    problems <- c(
+      problems, "LICENSE.md doesn't match the version in the checklist package"
     )
+    set_license(x)
+  }
   x$add_error(
     errors = problems,
     item = "license", keep = FALSE
diff --git a/R/set_license.R b/R/set_license.R
index 0cc71c5f..335d419f 100644
--- a/R/set_license.R
+++ b/R/set_license.R
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ set_license <- function(x = ".") {
       )
     ) |>
       system.file(package = "checklist") |>
-      file_copy(license_file)
+      file_copy(license_file, overwrite = TRUE)
     if (!grepl("^MIT", this_desc$get_field("License"))) {
       return(invisible(NULL))
     }
@@ -46,6 +46,6 @@ set_license <- function(x = ".") {
   }
   path("generic_template", "cc_by_4_0.md") |>
     system.file(package = "checklist") |>
-    file_copy(license_file)
+    file_copy(license_file, overwrite = TRUE)
   return(invisible(NULL))
 }