diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
index e9d260593..d6f7a489c 100644
--- a/Changelog
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
 	* Fixed a bug where "sed 's/foo/bar/g'" (i.e. a script w/o a "-e")
 	* ps now supports BB_FEATURE_AUTOWIDTH, and can adjust its width
 	    to match the terminal (defaults to width=79 when this is off).
+	* ps now accepts (and ignores) all options except for "--help" (which
+		as would be expected displays help).
 	* Fixed mount'ing loop devices when the filesystem type was not 
 	    specified.  It used to revert to non-loop after the first try.
 	* all mallocs now use xmalloc (and so are OOM error safe), and
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 30fd718f1..6a4b41b01 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export VERSION
 # Set the following to `true' to make a debuggable build.
 # Leave this set to `false' for production use.
 # eg: `make DODEBUG=true tests'
-DODEBUG = false
+DODEBUG = true
 
 # If you want a static binary, turn this on.
 DOSTATIC = false
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ docs:
 	$(MAKE) -C docs
 	
 regexp.o nfsmount.o: %.o: %.h
-$(OBJECTS): %.o: busybox.def.h internal.h  %.c
+$(OBJECTS): %.o: busybox.def.h internal.h  %.c Makefile
 
 test tests:
 	cd tests && $(MAKE) all
diff --git a/archival/tar.c b/archival/tar.c
index 9b3cb7d81..2284fd06d 100644
--- a/archival/tar.c
+++ b/archival/tar.c
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ static const char tar_usage[] =
 #endif
 	"\tx\t\textract\n"
 	"\tt\t\tlist\n"
-	"File selection:\n"
+	"\nFile selection:\n"
 	"\tf\t\tname of tarfile or \"-\" for stdin\n"
 	"\tO\t\textract to stdout\n"
 #if defined BB_FEATURE_TAR_EXCLUDE
 	"\t--exclude\tfile to exclude\n"
 #endif
-	"Informative output:\n"
+	"\nInformative output:\n"
 	"\tv\t\tverbosely list files processed\n"
 	;
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ extern int tar_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		usage(tar_usage);
 
 	/* Parse any options */
-	while (--argc > 0 && **(++argv) == '-') {
+	while (--argc > 0 && (**(++argv) != '\0')) {
 		stopIt=FALSE;
 		while (stopIt==FALSE && *(++(*argv))) {
 			switch (**argv) {
@@ -245,7 +245,6 @@ extern int tar_main(int argc, char **argv)
 						break;
 					}
 #endif
-					usage(tar_usage);
 					break;
 
 				default:
diff --git a/procps/ps.c b/procps/ps.c
index 1b3f4fb6c..8d59700fd 100644
--- a/procps/ps.c
+++ b/procps/ps.c
@@ -128,8 +128,9 @@ extern int ps_main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 
 
-	if (argc > 1 && **(argv + 1) == '-')
+	if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "--help") == 0) {
 		usage ("ps\n\nReport process status\n\nThis version of ps accepts no options.\n");
+	}
 
 	dir = opendir("/proc");
 	if (!dir)
diff --git a/ps.c b/ps.c
index 1b3f4fb6c..8d59700fd 100644
--- a/ps.c
+++ b/ps.c
@@ -128,8 +128,9 @@ extern int ps_main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 
 
-	if (argc > 1 && **(argv + 1) == '-')
+	if (argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "--help") == 0) {
 		usage ("ps\n\nReport process status\n\nThis version of ps accepts no options.\n");
+	}
 
 	dir = opendir("/proc");
 	if (!dir)
diff --git a/tar.c b/tar.c
index 9b3cb7d81..2284fd06d 100644
--- a/tar.c
+++ b/tar.c
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ static const char tar_usage[] =
 #endif
 	"\tx\t\textract\n"
 	"\tt\t\tlist\n"
-	"File selection:\n"
+	"\nFile selection:\n"
 	"\tf\t\tname of tarfile or \"-\" for stdin\n"
 	"\tO\t\textract to stdout\n"
 #if defined BB_FEATURE_TAR_EXCLUDE
 	"\t--exclude\tfile to exclude\n"
 #endif
-	"Informative output:\n"
+	"\nInformative output:\n"
 	"\tv\t\tverbosely list files processed\n"
 	;
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ extern int tar_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		usage(tar_usage);
 
 	/* Parse any options */
-	while (--argc > 0 && **(++argv) == '-') {
+	while (--argc > 0 && (**(++argv) != '\0')) {
 		stopIt=FALSE;
 		while (stopIt==FALSE && *(++(*argv))) {
 			switch (**argv) {
@@ -245,7 +245,6 @@ extern int tar_main(int argc, char **argv)
 						break;
 					}
 #endif
-					usage(tar_usage);
 					break;
 
 				default: