diff --git a/applets.c b/applets.c
index c2ccb88fa..10b44a5fc 100644
--- a/applets.c
+++ b/applets.c
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ extern void show_usage(void)
 	const char *format_string;
 	const char *usage_string = usage_messages;
 	int i;
+	/* From busybox.c */
+	extern int been_there_done_that;
+
+	if (strcmp(applet_using->name, "busybox")==0) {
+		been_there_done_that=1;
+		busybox_main(0, NULL);
+	}
 
 	for (i = applet_using - applets; i > 0; ) {
 		if (!*usage_string++) {
diff --git a/applets/applets.c b/applets/applets.c
index c2ccb88fa..10b44a5fc 100644
--- a/applets/applets.c
+++ b/applets/applets.c
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ extern void show_usage(void)
 	const char *format_string;
 	const char *usage_string = usage_messages;
 	int i;
+	/* From busybox.c */
+	extern int been_there_done_that;
+
+	if (strcmp(applet_using->name, "busybox")==0) {
+		been_there_done_that=1;
+		busybox_main(0, NULL);
+	}
 
 	for (i = applet_using - applets; i > 0; ) {
 		if (!*usage_string++) {
diff --git a/applets/busybox.c b/applets/busybox.c
index 03a2525a3..5085556d6 100644
--- a/applets/busybox.c
+++ b/applets/busybox.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #define BB_DECLARE_EXTERN
 #include "messages.c"
 
-static int been_there_done_that = 0;
+int been_there_done_that = 0; /* Also used in applets.c */
 const char *applet_name;
 
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_INSTALLER
diff --git a/busybox.c b/busybox.c
index 03a2525a3..5085556d6 100644
--- a/busybox.c
+++ b/busybox.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #define BB_DECLARE_EXTERN
 #include "messages.c"
 
-static int been_there_done_that = 0;
+int been_there_done_that = 0; /* Also used in applets.c */
 const char *applet_name;
 
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_INSTALLER