diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 97e92cc5e..081343e86 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ Options:
   --output-reproducible     Whether to go the extra mile and make the output reproducible.
                             This requires more resources, and might result in loss of time- and random-based-values.
                             (env: BOM_REPRODUCIBLE)
+  --add-license-text        Whether to go the extra mile and add license texts from the package files.
+                            This requires more resources, and results in much bigger output and
+                            trust the package that the text in a license file corresponds to the one in package.json. (default: false)
   --output-format <format>  Which output format to use.
                             (choices: "JSON", "XML", default: "JSON")
   --output-file <file>      Path to the output file.
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index a928527c3..9dbeac636 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { existsSync, openSync, writeSync } from 'fs'
 import { dirname, resolve } from 'path'
 
 import { BomBuilder, TreeBuilder } from './builders'
+import { addLicenseTextsToBom } from './licensetexts.js'
 
 enum OutputFormat {
   JSON = 'JSON',
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ interface CommandOptions {
   flattenComponents: boolean
   shortPURLs: boolean
   outputReproducible: boolean
+  addLicenseText: boolean
   outputFormat: OutputFormat
   outputFile: string
   mcType: Enums.ComponentType
@@ -111,6 +113,13 @@ function makeCommand (process: NodeJS.Process): Command {
     ).env(
       'BOM_REPRODUCIBLE'
     )
+  ).addOption(
+    new Option(
+      '--add-license-text',
+      'Whether to go the extra mile and add license texts from the package files.\n' +
+      'This requires more resources, and results in much bigger output and \n' +
+      'trust the package that the text in a license file corresponds to the one in package.json.'
+    ).default(false)
   ).addOption(
     (function () {
       const o = new Option(
@@ -226,6 +235,10 @@ export function run (process: NodeJS.Process): void {
     myConsole
   ).buildFromProjectDir(projectDir, process)
 
+  if (options.addLicenseText) {
+    addLicenseTextsToBom(bom)
+  }
+
   const spec = Spec.SpecVersionDict[options.specVersion]
   if (undefined === spec) {
     throw new Error('unsupported spec-version')
diff --git a/src/licensetexts.ts b/src/licensetexts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eca8c42e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/licensetexts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+/*!
+This file is part of CycloneDX generator for NPM projects.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+
+SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+Copyright (c) OWASP Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
+*/
+
+import { Enums, Models } from '@cyclonedx/cyclonedx-library'
+import * as fs from 'fs'
+import { join } from 'path'
+
+import { PropertyNames } from './properties'
+
+/**
+ * Returns the local installation path of the component, which is mentioned in the component
+ *
+ * @param {Models.Component} component
+ * @returns {string} installation path
+ */
+function getComponentInstallPath (component: Models.Component): string {
+  for (const property of component.properties) {
+    if (property.name === PropertyNames.PackageInstallPath) {
+      return (property.value)
+    }
+  }
+  return ''
+}
+
+/**
+ * Searches typical files in the package path which have typical a license text inside
+ *
+ * @param {string} pkgPath
+ * @param {string} licenseName
+ * @returns {Map<string, string>} filepath as key and guessed content type as value
+ */
+function searchLicenseSources (pkgPath: string, licenseName: string): Map<string, string> {
+  const licenseFilenamesWType = new Map<string, string>()
+  if (pkgPath.length < 1) {
+    return licenseFilenamesWType
+  }
+  const typicalFilenames = ['LICENSE', 'License', 'license', 'LICENCE', 'Licence', 'licence', 'NOTICE', 'Notice', 'notice']
+  const licenseContentTypes = { 'text/plain': '', 'text/txt': '.txt', 'text/markdown': '.md', 'text/xml': '.xml' }
+  for (const typicalFilename of typicalFilenames) {
+    for (const filenameVariant of [typicalFilename, typicalFilename + '.' + licenseName, typicalFilename + '-' + licenseName]) {
+      for (const [licenseContentType, fileExtension] of Object.entries(licenseContentTypes)) {
+        const filename = join(pkgPath, filenameVariant + fileExtension)
+        if (fs.existsSync(filename) && fs.realpathSync.native(filename).endsWith(filename)) { // needed to fix case-insensitivity on Windows
+          licenseFilenamesWType.set(filename, licenseContentType)
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return licenseFilenamesWType
+}
+
+/**
+ * Adds the content of a guessed license file to the license as license text in base 64 format
+ *
+ * @param {Models.DisjunctiveLicense} license
+ * @param {string} installPath
+ */
+function addLicTextBasedOnLicenseFiles (license: Models.DisjunctiveLicense, installPath: string): void {
+  const licenseFilenamesWType = searchLicenseSources(installPath, '')
+  for (const [licenseFilename, licenseContentType] of licenseFilenamesWType) {
+    const licContent = fs.readFileSync(licenseFilename, { encoding: 'base64' })
+    license.text = new Models.Attachment(licContent, {
+      encoding: Enums.AttachmentEncoding.Base64,
+      contentType: licenseContentType
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Add license texts to the license parts of the component
+ *
+ * @param {Models.Component} component
+ */
+function addLicenseTextToComponent (component: Models.Component): void {
+  if (component.licenses.size === 1) {
+    const license = component.licenses.values().next().value
+    if (license instanceof Models.NamedLicense || license instanceof Models.SpdxLicense) {
+      addLicTextBasedOnLicenseFiles(license, getComponentInstallPath(component))
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Go through component tree and add license texts
+ *
+ * @param {Models.ComponentRepository} components
+ */
+function addLicenseTextsToComponents (components: Models.ComponentRepository): void {
+  for (const component of components) {
+    addLicenseTextToComponent(component)
+    // Handle sub components
+    addLicenseTextsToComponents(component.components)
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Entry function to add license texts to the components in the SBoM
+ *
+ * @export
+ * @param {Models.Bom} bom
+ */
+export function addLicenseTextsToBom (bom: Models.Bom): void {
+  addLicenseTextsToComponents(bom.components)
+}