diff --git a/setuptools/command/sdist.py b/setuptools/command/sdist.py
index cd308ab9ddc..0334c1c852e 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/sdist.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/sdist.py
@@ -208,9 +208,9 @@ def check_license(self):
             else ordered_set.OrderedSet(license_files)
 
         if 'license_file' in opts:
-            warnings.warn(
-                "The 'license_file' option is deprecated. Use 'license_files' instead.",
-                DeprecationWarning)
+            log.warn(
+                "warning: the 'license_file' option is deprecated, "
+                "use 'license_files' instead")
             patterns.append(opts['license_file'][1])
 
         if 'license_file' not in opts and 'license_files' not in opts: