diff --git a/applets.h b/applets.h
index a2d73bc59..f21a49076 100644
--- a/applets.h
+++ b/applets.h
@@ -371,5 +371,5 @@ const struct BB_applet applets[] = {
 };
 
 /* The -1 arises because of the {0,NULL,0,NULL} entry above. */
-#define NUM_APPLETS (sizeof (applets) / sizeof (struct BB_applet) - 1)
+size_t NUM_APPLETS = (sizeof (applets) / sizeof (struct BB_applet) - 1);
 
diff --git a/busybox.h b/busybox.h
index 2bc1c997e..f0f8d5dd9 100644
--- a/busybox.h
+++ b/busybox.h
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ struct BB_applet {
 /* From busybox.c */
 extern const struct BB_applet applets[];
 
+extern size_t NUM_APPLETS;
+
+
 extern int applet_name_compare(const void *x, const void *y);
 
 extern int ar_main(int argc, char **argv);
diff --git a/coreutils/date.c b/coreutils/date.c
index 2e99aea19..a8f0d7ced 100644
--- a/coreutils/date.c
+++ b/coreutils/date.c
@@ -160,26 +160,27 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* Interpret command line args */
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "Rs:ud:")) != EOF) {
 		switch (c) {
-		case 'R':
-			rfc822 = 1;
-			break;
-		case 's':
-			set_time = 1;
-			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
+			case 'R':
+				rfc822 = 1;
+				break;
+			case 's':
+				set_time = 1;
+				if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL)) {
+					usage(date_usage);
+				}
+				break;
+			case 'u':
+				utc = 1;
+				if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0)
+					fatalError(memory_exhausted);
+				break;
+			case 'd':
+				use_arg = 1;
+				if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
+					usage(date_usage);
+				break;
+			default:
 				usage(date_usage);
-			break;
-		case 'u':
-			utc = 1;
-			if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0) 
-				fatalError(memory_exhausted);
-			break;
-		case 'd':
-			use_arg = 1;
-			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
-				usage(date_usage);
-			break;
-		default:
-			usage(date_usage);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -188,9 +189,13 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	else if (date_str == NULL) {
 		set_time = 1;
 		date_str = argv[optind];
-	} else {
+	} 
+#if 0
+	else {
+		errorMsg("date_str='%s'  date_fmt='%s'\n", date_str, date_fmt);
 		usage(date_usage);
 	}
+#endif
 
 	/* Now we have parsed all the information except the date format
 	   which depends on whether the clock is being set or read */
@@ -217,11 +222,15 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		tm = mktime(&tm_time);
 		if (tm < 0)
 			fatalError(invalid_date, date_str); 
+		if ( utc ) {
+			if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0)
+				fatalError(memory_exhausted);
+		}
 
 		/* if setting time, set it */
 		if (set_time) {
 			if (stime(&tm) < 0) {
-				fatalError("can't set date.\n");
+				perrorMsg("cannot set date");
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/date.c b/date.c
index 2e99aea19..a8f0d7ced 100644
--- a/date.c
+++ b/date.c
@@ -160,26 +160,27 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* Interpret command line args */
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "Rs:ud:")) != EOF) {
 		switch (c) {
-		case 'R':
-			rfc822 = 1;
-			break;
-		case 's':
-			set_time = 1;
-			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
+			case 'R':
+				rfc822 = 1;
+				break;
+			case 's':
+				set_time = 1;
+				if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL)) {
+					usage(date_usage);
+				}
+				break;
+			case 'u':
+				utc = 1;
+				if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0)
+					fatalError(memory_exhausted);
+				break;
+			case 'd':
+				use_arg = 1;
+				if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
+					usage(date_usage);
+				break;
+			default:
 				usage(date_usage);
-			break;
-		case 'u':
-			utc = 1;
-			if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0) 
-				fatalError(memory_exhausted);
-			break;
-		case 'd':
-			use_arg = 1;
-			if ((date_str != NULL) || ((date_str = optarg) == NULL))
-				usage(date_usage);
-			break;
-		default:
-			usage(date_usage);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -188,9 +189,13 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	else if (date_str == NULL) {
 		set_time = 1;
 		date_str = argv[optind];
-	} else {
+	} 
+#if 0
+	else {
+		errorMsg("date_str='%s'  date_fmt='%s'\n", date_str, date_fmt);
 		usage(date_usage);
 	}
+#endif
 
 	/* Now we have parsed all the information except the date format
 	   which depends on whether the clock is being set or read */
@@ -217,11 +222,15 @@ int date_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		tm = mktime(&tm_time);
 		if (tm < 0)
 			fatalError(invalid_date, date_str); 
+		if ( utc ) {
+			if (putenv("TZ=UTC0") != 0)
+				fatalError(memory_exhausted);
+		}
 
 		/* if setting time, set it */
 		if (set_time) {
 			if (stime(&tm) < 0) {
-				fatalError("can't set date.\n");
+				perrorMsg("cannot set date");
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/include/applets.h b/include/applets.h
index a2d73bc59..f21a49076 100644
--- a/include/applets.h
+++ b/include/applets.h
@@ -371,5 +371,5 @@ const struct BB_applet applets[] = {
 };
 
 /* The -1 arises because of the {0,NULL,0,NULL} entry above. */
-#define NUM_APPLETS (sizeof (applets) / sizeof (struct BB_applet) - 1)
+size_t NUM_APPLETS = (sizeof (applets) / sizeof (struct BB_applet) - 1);
 
diff --git a/include/busybox.h b/include/busybox.h
index 2bc1c997e..f0f8d5dd9 100644
--- a/include/busybox.h
+++ b/include/busybox.h
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ struct BB_applet {
 /* From busybox.c */
 extern const struct BB_applet applets[];
 
+extern size_t NUM_APPLETS;
+
+
 extern int applet_name_compare(const void *x, const void *y);
 
 extern int ar_main(int argc, char **argv);
diff --git a/lash.c b/lash.c
index 1e0803f77..7f5b90602 100644
--- a/lash.c
+++ b/lash.c
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ static int runCommand(struct job *newJob, struct jobSet *jobList, int inBg, int
 	int pipefds[2];				/* pipefd[0] is for reading */
 	struct builtInCommand *x;
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_SH_STANDALONE_SHELL
-	struct BB_applet search_applet, *applet = applets;
+	struct BB_applet search_applet, *applet;
 #endif
 
 	nextin = 0, nextout = 1;
diff --git a/sh.c b/sh.c
index 1e0803f77..7f5b90602 100644
--- a/sh.c
+++ b/sh.c
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ static int runCommand(struct job *newJob, struct jobSet *jobList, int inBg, int
 	int pipefds[2];				/* pipefd[0] is for reading */
 	struct builtInCommand *x;
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_SH_STANDALONE_SHELL
-	struct BB_applet search_applet, *applet = applets;
+	struct BB_applet search_applet, *applet;
 #endif
 
 	nextin = 0, nextout = 1;
diff --git a/shell/lash.c b/shell/lash.c
index 1e0803f77..7f5b90602 100644
--- a/shell/lash.c
+++ b/shell/lash.c
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ static int runCommand(struct job *newJob, struct jobSet *jobList, int inBg, int
 	int pipefds[2];				/* pipefd[0] is for reading */
 	struct builtInCommand *x;
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_SH_STANDALONE_SHELL
-	struct BB_applet search_applet, *applet = applets;
+	struct BB_applet search_applet, *applet;
 #endif
 
 	nextin = 0, nextout = 1;