diff --git a/package/coreutils/Config.in b/package/coreutils/Config.in
index 11a6019e82..705013bae0 100644
--- a/package/coreutils/Config.in
+++ b/package/coreutils/Config.in
@@ -15,6 +15,24 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS
 
 	  http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/
 
+if BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS
+
+config BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS_INDIVIDUAL_BINARIES
+	bool "Individual binaries"
+	depends on !BR2_STATIC_LIBS
+	help
+	  By default (i.e. with this option disabled), coreutils is
+	  installed as a single binary (Busybox style) called
+	  /usr/bin/coreutils, and all core utilities are symbolic
+	  links to this binary.
+
+	  With this option enabled, each utility is a separate binary.
+
+comment "coreutils individual binaries need a toolchain w/ dynamic library"
+	depends on BR2_STATIC_LIBS
+
+endif
+
 comment "coreutils needs a toolchain w/ wchar"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
 	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR
diff --git a/package/coreutils/coreutils.mk b/package/coreutils/coreutils.mk
index c48dc235ac..6b8f3ba4b8 100644
--- a/package/coreutils/coreutils.mk
+++ b/package/coreutils/coreutils.mk
@@ -14,8 +14,15 @@ COREUTILS_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 COREUTILS_AUTORECONF = YES
 COREUTILS_GETTEXTIZE = YES
 
-COREUTILS_CONF_OPTS = --disable-rpath --enable-single-binary=symlinks \
+COREUTILS_CONF_OPTS = --disable-rpath \
 	$(if $(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_USES_MUSL),--with-included-regex)
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS_INDIVIDUAL_BINARIES),y)
+COREUTILS_CONF_OPTS += --disable-single-binary
+else
+COREUTILS_CONF_OPTS += --enable-single-binary=symlinks
+endif
+
 COREUTILS_CONF_ENV = ac_cv_c_restrict=no \
 	ac_cv_func_chown_works=yes \
 	ac_cv_func_euidaccess=no \
@@ -96,6 +103,17 @@ COREUTILS_DEPENDENCIES += openssl
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_ROOTFS_MERGED_USR),)
+# We want to move a few binaries from /usr/bin to /bin. In the case of
+# coreutils being built as multi-call binary, we do so by re-creating
+# the corresponding symlinks. If coreutils is built with individual
+# binaries, we actually move the binaries.
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS_INDIVIDUAL_BINARIES),y)
+define COREUTILS_FIX_BIN_LOCATION
+	$(foreach f,$(COREUTILS_BIN_PROGS), \
+		mv $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/$(f) $(TARGET_DIR)/bin
+	)
+endef
+else
 define COREUTILS_FIX_BIN_LOCATION
 	# some things go in /bin rather than /usr/bin
 	$(foreach f,$(COREUTILS_BIN_PROGS), \
@@ -103,6 +121,7 @@ define COREUTILS_FIX_BIN_LOCATION
 		ln -sf ../usr/bin/coreutils $(TARGET_DIR)/bin/$(f)
 	)
 endef
+endif
 COREUTILS_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += COREUTILS_FIX_BIN_LOCATION
 endif
 
@@ -111,16 +130,28 @@ COREUTILS_CONF_OPTS += --enable-no-install-program=stdbuf
 endif
 
 # link for archaic shells
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS_INDIVIDUAL_BINARIES),y)
+define COREUTILS_CREATE_TEST_SYMLINK
+	ln -fs test $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/[
+endef
+else
 define COREUTILS_CREATE_TEST_SYMLINK
 	ln -fs coreutils $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/[
 endef
+endif
 COREUTILS_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += COREUTILS_CREATE_TEST_SYMLINK
 
 # gnu thinks chroot is in bin, debian thinks it's in sbin
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_COREUTILS_INDIVIDUAL_BINARIES),y)
+define COREUTILS_FIX_CHROOT_LOCATION
+	mv $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/chroot $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/sbin
+endef
+else
 define COREUTILS_FIX_CHROOT_LOCATION
 	rm -f $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/chroot
 	ln -sf ../bin/coreutils $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/sbin/chroot
 endef
+endif
 COREUTILS_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += COREUTILS_FIX_CHROOT_LOCATION
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))