diff --git a/package/busybox/busybox.mk b/package/busybox/busybox.mk
index aab7f5d577..d8c8bad318 100644
--- a/package/busybox/busybox.mk
+++ b/package/busybox/busybox.mk
@@ -223,4 +223,12 @@ define BUSYBOX_INSTALL_INIT_SYSV
 	$(BUSYBOX_INSTALL_TELNET_SCRIPT)
 endef
 
+# Checks to give errors that the user can understand
+# Must be before we call to kconfig-package
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING),y)
+ifeq ($(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX_CONFIG)),)
+$(error No BusyBox configuration file specified, check your BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX_CONFIG setting)
+endif
+endif
+
 $(eval $(kconfig-package))