diff --git a/src/license/licenses_api.js b/src/license/licenses_api.js
index 132f3bb2..de267ced 100644
--- a/src/license/licenses_api.js
+++ b/src/license/licenses_api.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  * @see https://github.com/guacsec/trustify-da-api-spec/blob/main/api/v5/openapi.yaml
  */
 
+import { PackageURL } from 'packageurl-js';
 import { selectTrustifyDABackend } from '../index.js';
 import { addProxyAgent, getTokenHeaders } from '../tools.js';
 
@@ -42,6 +43,11 @@ export async function getLicenseDetails(spdxId, opts = {}) {
 	}
 }
 
+function normalizePurlString(purl) {
+	const parsed = PackageURL.fromString(purl);
+	return new PackageURL(parsed.type, parsed.namespace, parsed.name, parsed.version, null, null).toString();
+}
+
 /**
  * Normalize the LicensesResponse shape (array of LicenseProviderResult) into a map of purl -> license info.
  * Each provider result has { status, summary, packages } where packages is { [purl]: { concluded, evidence } }.
@@ -55,6 +61,8 @@ export function normalizeLicensesResponse(data, purls = []) {
 	const map = new Map();
 	if (!data || !Array.isArray(data)) {return map;}
 
+	const normalizedPurlsSet = purls.length > 0 ? new Set(purls.map(normalizePurlString)) : null;
+
 	for (const providerResult of data) {
 		const packages = providerResult?.packages;
 		if (!packages || typeof packages !== 'object') {continue;}
@@ -64,8 +72,9 @@ export function normalizeLicensesResponse(data, purls = []) {
 			const expression = concluded?.expression;
 			const licenses = identifiers.length > 0 ? identifiers : (expression ? [expression] : []);
 			const category = concluded?.category; // PERMISSIVE | WEAK_COPYLEFT | STRONG_COPYLEFT | UNKNOWN
-			if (purls.length === 0 || purls.includes(purl)) {
-				map.set(purl, { licenses: licenses.filter(Boolean), category });
+			const normalizedPurl = normalizePurlString(purl);
+			if (normalizedPurlsSet === null || normalizedPurlsSet.has(normalizedPurl)) {
+				map.set(normalizedPurl, { licenses: licenses.filter(Boolean), category });
 			}
 		}
 		// Use first provider that has packages; backend may return multiple (e.g. deps.dev)
diff --git a/src/license/project_license.js b/src/license/project_license.js
index aec3f64f..b34fef3f 100644
--- a/src/license/project_license.js
+++ b/src/license/project_license.js
@@ -72,15 +72,3 @@ export async function identifyLicense(licenseFilePath, opts = {}) {
 		return null; // Fallback to local detection on error
 	}
 }
-
-/**
- * Get license for SBOM root component with fallback to LICENSE file.
- * Priority: manifest license > LICENSE file > null
- * This is used by providers to populate the license field in the SBOM.
- * @param {string} manifestPath - path to manifest
- * @returns {string|null} - SPDX identifier or null
- */
-export function getLicenseForSbom(manifestPath) {
-	const { fromManifest, fromFile } = getProjectLicense(manifestPath);
-	return fromManifest || fromFile || null;
-}
diff --git a/test/providers/license.test.js b/test/providers/license.test.js
index 2e7e1438..a3c99071 100644
--- a/test/providers/license.test.js
+++ b/test/providers/license.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,56 @@ import Javascript_npm from '../../src/providers/javascript_npm.js'
 import Javascript_pnpm from '../../src/providers/javascript_pnpm.js'
 import Javascript_yarn from '../../src/providers/javascript_yarn.js'
 import pythonPipProvider from '../../src/providers/python_pip.js'
+import { normalizeLicensesResponse } from '../../src/license/licenses_api.js'
+
+suite('normalizeLicensesResponse', () => {
+	const lgpl = { id: 'LGPL-2.1', name: 'GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1 only', category: 'WEAK_COPYLEFT' }
+	const apache = { id: 'Apache-2.0', name: 'Apache License 2.0', category: 'PERMISSIVE' }
+
+	const backendResponse = [
+		{
+			status: { ok: true, name: 'deps.dev' },
+			packages: {
+				// backend returns purls with ?scope=compile qualifier
+				'pkg:maven/org.mariadb.jdbc/mariadb-java-client@3.1.4?scope=compile': {
+					concluded: { identifiers: [lgpl], expression: 'LGPL-2.1', category: 'WEAK_COPYLEFT' }
+				},
+				'pkg:maven/javassist/javassist@3.12.1.GA?scope=compile': {
+					concluded: { identifiers: [lgpl], expression: 'LGPL-2.1', category: 'WEAK_COPYLEFT' }
+				},
+				'pkg:maven/commons-collections/commons-collections@3.2.1': {
+					concluded: { identifiers: [apache], expression: 'Apache-2.0', category: 'PERMISSIVE' }
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	]
+
+	// SBOM purls have no qualifier
+	const sbomPurls = [
+		'pkg:maven/org.mariadb.jdbc/mariadb-java-client@3.1.4',
+		'pkg:maven/javassist/javassist@3.12.1.GA',
+		'pkg:maven/commons-collections/commons-collections@3.2.1'
+	]
+
+	test('matches backend purls with ?scope=compile qualifier against plain SBOM purls', () => {
+		const map = normalizeLicensesResponse(backendResponse, sbomPurls)
+		expect(map.size).to.equal(3)
+	})
+
+	test('stores purl without qualifier as map key', () => {
+		const map = normalizeLicensesResponse(backendResponse, sbomPurls)
+		expect(map.has('pkg:maven/org.mariadb.jdbc/mariadb-java-client@3.1.4')).to.be.true
+		expect(map.has('pkg:maven/javassist/javassist@3.12.1.GA')).to.be.true
+		expect(map.has('pkg:maven/org.mariadb.jdbc/mariadb-java-client@3.1.4?scope=compile')).to.be.false
+	})
+
+	test('preserves correct license category for qualifier-stripped purls', () => {
+		const map = normalizeLicensesResponse(backendResponse, sbomPurls)
+		expect(map.get('pkg:maven/org.mariadb.jdbc/mariadb-java-client@3.1.4').category).to.equal('WEAK_COPYLEFT')
+		expect(map.get('pkg:maven/javassist/javassist@3.12.1.GA').category).to.equal('WEAK_COPYLEFT')
+		expect(map.get('pkg:maven/commons-collections/commons-collections@3.2.1').category).to.equal('PERMISSIVE')
+	})
+})
 
 suite('testing readLicenseFromManifest with existing test manifests', () => {