diff --git a/package/busybox/busybox.mk b/package/busybox/busybox.mk
index e50ca1447d..dbb4a9b93f 100644
--- a/package/busybox/busybox.mk
+++ b/package/busybox/busybox.mk
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ BUSYBOX_LDFLAGS = \
 
 # Packages that provide commands that may also be busybox applets:
 BUSYBOX_DEPENDENCIES = \
+	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_DIFFUTILS),diffutils) \
 	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_DOS2UNIX),dos2unix) \
 	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_E2FSPROGS),e2fsprogs) \
 	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_FBSET),fbset) \
diff --git a/package/diffutils/diffutils.mk b/package/diffutils/diffutils.mk
index 79785d6f01..9a41c985df 100644
--- a/package/diffutils/diffutils.mk
+++ b/package/diffutils/diffutils.mk
@@ -17,8 +17,4 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_USES_GLIBC),y)
 DIFFUTILS_CONF_ENV += gl_cv_func_getopt_gnu=yes
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX),y)
-DIFFUTILS_DEPENDENCIES += busybox
-endif
-
 $(eval $(autotools-package))