diff --git a/coreutils/cp.c b/coreutils/cp.c
index c5dd31ec3..6a82f6bff 100644
--- a/coreutils/cp.c
+++ b/coreutils/cp.c
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@
 #include "busybox.h"
 #include "libcoreutils/coreutils.h"
 
-static const char cp_opts[] = "pdRfia";	/* WARNING!! ORDER IS IMPORTANT!! */
+/* WARNING!! ORDER IS IMPORTANT!! */
+static const char cp_opts[] = "pdRfiar";
 
 extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -66,6 +67,12 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (flags & 32) {
 		flags |= (FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS | FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE);
 	}
+	if (flags & 64) {
+		/* Make -r a synonym for -R,
+		 * -r was marked as obsolete in SUSv3, but is included for compatability
+ 		 */
+		flags |= FILEUTILS_RECUR;
+	}
 
 	flags ^= FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE;		/* The sense of this flag was reversed. */