diff --git a/magicli.py b/magicli.py
index 20d2e36..4653222 100644
--- a/magicli.py
+++ b/magicli.py
@@ -287,6 +287,21 @@ def get_description(name):
     return " ".join(stripped for line in doc.splitlines() if (stripped := line.strip()))
 
 
+def get_license_expression(content):
+    """Returns the license expression used in pyproject.toml."""
+    return {
+        "Apache License": "Apache-2.0",
+        "BSD 2-Clause License": "BSD-2-Clause",
+        "BSD 3-Clause License": "BSD-3-Clause",
+        "GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE": "AGPL-3.0-or-later",
+        "GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE": "GPL-3.0-or-later",
+        "GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE": "LGPL-3.0-or-later",
+        "MIT License": "MIT",
+        "Mozilla Public License Version 2.0": "MPL-2.0",
+        "Public domain statement": "Unlicense",
+    }.get(content.split("\n")[0].strip())
+
+
 def cli(name="", author="", email="", description="", homepage=""):
     """
     magiCLI✨
@@ -331,6 +346,11 @@ def cli(name="", author="", email="", description="", homepage=""):
         project.append('readme = "README.md"')
 
     if Path("LICENSE").exists():
+        license_content = Path("LICENSE").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        if license_expression := get_license_expression(license_content):
+            project.append(f'license = "{license_expression}"')
+        else:
+            print("Unknown license: Failed to add SPDX identifier to project.license")
         project.append('license-files = ["LICENSE"]')
 
     if description or (description := get_description(name)):
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index b526fe3..3ef34bf 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ def with_tempdir():
     _teardown(directory, cwd)
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def with_license():
+    directory, cwd = _setup(["LICENSE"])
+    yield directory.name
+    _teardown(directory, cwd)
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def with_readme_and_license():
     directory, cwd = _setup(["README.md", "LICENSE"])
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 6e82c3d..89619e4 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -6,12 +6,20 @@
     empty_directory,
     pyproject,
     with_git,
+    with_license,
     with_readme_and_license,
     with_tempdir,
     with_two_files,
 )
 
-from magicli import cli, get_description, get_homepage, get_output, get_project_name
+from magicli import (
+    cli,
+    get_description,
+    get_homepage,
+    get_license_expression,
+    get_output,
+    get_project_name,
+)
 
 
 def module(name):
@@ -92,7 +100,21 @@ def test_get_description():
     assert get_description("magicli") is not None
 
 
-def test_cli_with_kwargs(with_readme_and_license):
+def test_get_license_expression():
+    assert get_license_expression("Apache License") == "Apache-2.0"
+    assert get_license_expression(" GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE ") == "GPL-3.0-or-later"
+    assert get_license_expression("") == None
+
+
+def test_cli_with_license(with_license):
+    Path(with_license, "LICENSE").write_text("MIT License")
+    cli(name="name", author="Patrick Elmer", email="patrick@elmer.ws")
+    pyproject = Path("pyproject.toml").read_text()
+    assert 'license = "MIT"' in pyproject
+    assert 'license-files = ["LICENSE"]' in pyproject
+
+
+def test_cli_with_kwargs(capsys, with_readme_and_license):
     cli(
         name="name",
         author="Patrick Elmer",
@@ -100,6 +122,8 @@ def test_cli_with_kwargs(with_readme_and_license):
         description="docstring",
         homepage="https://github.com/PatrickElmer/magicli",
     )
+    out, _ = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "Unknown license" in out
     assert (
         Path("pyproject.toml").read_text()
         == """\