diff --git a/Makefile.custom b/Makefile.custom
index 28d0ef7bc..6f679c4e1 100644
--- a/Makefile.custom
+++ b/Makefile.custom
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ busybox.cfg.nosuid: $(srctree)/applets/busybox.mksuid $(objtree)/include/autocon
 	$(Q)-SUID="DROP" $(SHELL) $^ > $@
 
 .PHONY: install
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_INSTALL_APPLET_DONT),y)
+INSTALL_OPTS:= --none
+endif
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_INSTALL_APPLET_SYMLINKS),y)
 INSTALL_OPTS:= --symlinks
 endif
diff --git a/applets/install.sh b/applets/install.sh
index c75a78e9d..9aede0f53 100755
--- a/applets/install.sh
+++ b/applets/install.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ export LC_CTYPE=POSIX
 
 prefix=$1
 if [ -z "$prefix" ]; then
-	echo "usage: applets/install.sh DESTINATION [--symlinks/--hardlinks/--binaries/--scriptwrapper]"
+	echo "usage: applets/install.sh DESTINATION TYPE [OPTS ...]"
+	echo "  TYPE is one of: --symlinks --hardlinks --binaries --scriptwrapper --none"
+	echo "  OPTS is one or more of: --cleanup --noclobber"
 	exit 1
 fi
 shift # Keep only remaining options
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ while [ ${#} -gt 0 ]; do
 		--sw-sh-sym)     scriptwrapper="y"; linkopts="-fs";;
 		--cleanup)       cleanup="1";;
 		--noclobber)     noclobber="1";;
-		"")              h="";;
+		--none)          h="";;
 		*)               echo "Unknown install option: $1"; exit 1;;
 	esac
 	shift