diff --git a/base/busybox/busybox.conf b/base/busybox/busybox.conf
index 573ca60bf..e0a659dad 100644
--- a/base/busybox/busybox.conf
+++ b/base/busybox/busybox.conf
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # This copyright note is auto-generated by ./scripts/Create-CopyPatch.
 #
 # Filename: package/.../busybox/busybox.conf
-# Copyright (C) 2006 - 2007 The OpenSDE Project
+# Copyright (C) 2006 - 2008 The OpenSDE Project
 # Copyright (C) 2004 - 2006 The T2 SDE Project
 # Copyright (C) 1998 - 2003 Clifford Wolf
 #
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ fi
 
 var_append conffiles ' ' $confdir/broken.config
 
+# when SDECFG_DEBUG is enabled, we don't get busybox, just busybox_unstripped
+# but `make install` still expects busybox to be there
+#
+[ "$SDECFG_DEBUG" != 1 ] || hook_add inmake 5 'cp -v busybox_unstripped busybox'
+
 # save .config file for the future
 hook_add postdoc 9 'cp -v .config busybox.links $root/$docdir'