diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 341bd7d5d..4a87573b7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -677,8 +677,12 @@ busybox_unstripped: $(busybox-all) FORCE
 	$(Q)rm -f .old_version
 
 busybox: busybox_unstripped
+ifeq ($(SKIP_STRIP),y)
+	$(Q)cp $< $@
+else
 	$(Q)$(STRIP) -s --remove-section=.note --remove-section=.comment \
 		busybox_unstripped -o $@
+endif
 
 # The actual objects are generated when descending,
 # make sure no implicit rule kicks in
diff --git a/Makefile.custom b/Makefile.custom
index cf3d14321..bb5977697 100644
--- a/Makefile.custom
+++ b/Makefile.custom
@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@
 # Build system
 # ==========================================================================
 
-%.bflt: %_unstripped
-	$(CROSS_COMPILE)elf2flt $(ELF2FLTFLAGS) $< -o $@
-
 busybox.links: $(srctree)/applets/busybox.mkll $(objtree)/include/autoconf.h $(srctree)/include/applets.h
 	$(Q)-$(SHELL) $^ >$@
 
diff --git a/Makefile.flags b/Makefile.flags
index 322e43792..c9b713b02 100644
--- a/Makefile.flags
+++ b/Makefile.flags
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # ==========================================================================
 
 BB_VER = $(VERSION).$(PATCHLEVEL).$(SUBLEVEL)$(EXTRAVERSION)
+SKIP_STRIP = n
 
 # -std=gnu99 needed for [U]LLONG_MAX on some systems
 CPPFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-std=gnu99,)
@@ -69,6 +70,12 @@ endif
 
 #LDFLAGS += -nostdlib
 
+LDFLAGS_ELF2FLT = -Wl,-elf2flt
+ifneq (,$(findstring $(LDFLAGS_ELF2FLT),$(LDFLAGS)))
+SKIP_STRIP = y
+endif
+
 # Busybox is a stack-fatty so make sure we increase default size
-# (TODO: use "make stksizes" to find & fix big stack users)
+# TODO: use "make stksizes" to find & fix big stack users; should
+#       just steal scripts/checkstack.pl from the kernel ...
 FLTFLAGS += -s 20000