diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 21d63f6ef7..d77b5396cf 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -937,6 +937,7 @@ help:
 	@echo '  <pkg>-dirclean         - Remove <pkg> build directory'
 	@echo '  <pkg>-reconfigure      - Restart the build from the configure step'
 	@echo '  <pkg>-rebuild          - Restart the build from the build step'
+	$(foreach p,$(HELP_PACKAGES),$($(p)_HELP_CMDS)$(sep))
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX),y)
 	@echo '  busybox-menuconfig     - Run BusyBox menuconfig'
 endif
diff --git a/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt b/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
index 8ed7fe8ee2..de8aca20b5 100644
--- a/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
@@ -497,6 +497,12 @@ different steps of the build process.
   systemd is selected as the init system in the configuration, only
   +LIBFOO_INSTALL_INIT_SYSTEMD+ will be run).
 
+* +LIBFOO_HELP_CMDS+ lists the actions to print the package help, which
+  is included to the main +make help+ output. These commands can print
+  anything in any format.
+  This is seldom used, as packages rarely have custom rules. *Do not use
+  this variable*, unless you really know that you need to print help.
+
 The preferred way to define these variables is:
 
 ----------------------
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index b03187956e..374d9d56c9 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -914,6 +914,10 @@ ifeq ($$(patsubst %/,ERROR,$$($(2)_SITE)),ERROR)
 $$(error $(2)_SITE ($$($(2)_SITE)) cannot have a trailing slash)
 endif
 
+ifneq ($$($(2)_HELP_CMDS),)
+HELP_PACKAGES += $(2)
+endif
+
 endif # $(2)_KCONFIG_VAR
 endef # inner-generic-package