diff -pruN busybox-1.2.2.1/shell/Config.in busybox-1.2.2.1.cttyhack/shell/Config.in
--- busybox-1.2.2.1/shell/Config.in	2006-07-01 00:42:05.000000000 +0200
+++ busybox-1.2.2.1.cttyhack/shell/Config.in	2008-07-03 14:26:57.039108000 +0200
@@ -240,6 +240,26 @@ config CONFIG_FEATURE_SH_STANDALONE_SHEL
 	  that exact location with that exact name, this option will not work at
 	  all.
 
+config CONFIG_CTTYHACK
+	bool "cttyhack"
+	default n
+	help
+	  One common problem reported on the mailing list is "can't access tty;
+	  job control turned off" error message which typically appears when
+	  one tries to use shell with stdin/stdout opened to /dev/console.
+	  This device is special - it cannot be a controlling tty.
+
+	  Proper solution is to use correct device instead of /dev/console.
+
+	  cttyhack provides "quick and dirty" solution to this problem.
+	  It analyzes stdin with various ioctls, trying to determine whether
+	  it is a /dev/ttyN or /dev/ttySN (virtual terminal or serial line).
+	  If it detects one, it closes stdin/out/err and reopens that device.
+	  Then it executes given program. Usage example for /etc/inittab
+	  (for busybox init):
+
+	  ::respawn:/bin/cttyhack /bin/sh
+
 config CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_EDITING
 	bool "Command line editing"
 	default n
diff -pruN busybox-1.2.2.1/shell/cttyhack.c busybox-1.2.2.1.cttyhack/shell/cttyhack.c
--- busybox-1.2.2.1/shell/cttyhack.c	1970-01-01 01:00:00.000000000 +0100
+++ busybox-1.2.2.1.cttyhack/shell/cttyhack.c	2008-07-03 14:45:39.185555000 +0200
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
+/*
+ * Licensed under GPLv2
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2007 Denys Vlasenko <vda.linux@googlemail.com>
+ */
+#include "libbb.h"
+
+/* From <linux/vt.h> */
+struct vt_stat {
+	unsigned short v_active;        /* active vt */
+	unsigned short v_signal;        /* signal to send */
+	unsigned short v_state;         /* vt bitmask */
+};
+enum { VT_GETSTATE = 0x5603 }; /* get global vt state info */
+
+/* From <linux/serial.h> */
+struct serial_struct {
+	int	type;
+	int	line;
+	unsigned int	port;
+	int	irq;
+	int	flags;
+	int	xmit_fifo_size;
+	int	custom_divisor;
+	int	baud_base;
+	unsigned short	close_delay;
+	char	io_type;
+	char	reserved_char[1];
+	int	hub6;
+	unsigned short	closing_wait;   /* time to wait before closing */
+	unsigned short	closing_wait2;  /* no longer used... */
+	unsigned char	*iomem_base;
+	unsigned short	iomem_reg_shift;
+	unsigned int	port_high;
+	unsigned long	iomap_base;	/* cookie passed into ioremap */
+	int	reserved[1];
+};
+
+int cttyhack_main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	int fd;
+	char console[sizeof(int)*3 + 16];
+	union {
+		struct vt_stat vt;
+		struct serial_struct sr;
+		char paranoia[sizeof(struct serial_struct) * 3];
+	} u;
+
+	if (!*++argv) {
+		bb_show_usage();
+	}
+
+	strcpy(console, "/dev/tty");
+	if (ioctl(0, TIOCGSERIAL, &u.sr) == 0) {
+		/* this is a serial console */
+		sprintf(console + 8, "S%d", u.sr.line);
+	} else if (ioctl(0, VT_GETSTATE, &u.vt) == 0) {
+		/* this is linux virtual tty */
+		sprintf(console + 8, "S%d" + 1, u.vt.v_active);
+	}
+
+	if (console[8]) {
+		fd = bb_xopen(console, O_RDWR);
+		//bb_error_msg("switching to '%s'", console);
+		dup2(fd, 0);
+		dup2(fd, 1);
+		dup2(fd, 2);
+		while (fd > 2) close(fd--);
+		/* Some other session may have it as ctty. Steal it from them */
+		ioctl(0, TIOCSCTTY, 1);
+	}
+
+	execvp(argv[0], argv);
+	bb_perror_msg_and_die("cannot exec '%s'", argv[0]);
+}
diff -pruN busybox-1.2.2.1/shell/Makefile.in busybox-1.2.2.1.cttyhack/shell/Makefile.in
--- busybox-1.2.2.1/shell/Makefile.in	2006-07-01 00:42:05.000000000 +0200
+++ busybox-1.2.2.1.cttyhack/shell/Makefile.in	2008-07-03 13:50:41.928699000 +0200
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ SHELLT-$(CONFIG_ASH)				+= ash.o
 SHELLT-$(CONFIG_HUSH)				+= hush.o
 SHELLT-$(CONFIG_LASH)				+= lash.o
 SHELLT-$(CONFIG_MSH)				+= msh.o
+SHELLT-$(CONFIG_CTTYHACK) 			+= cttyhack.o
 SHELLT-$(CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_EDITING)	+= cmdedit.o
 
 ifneq ($(strip $(SHELLT-y)),)
diff -pru busybox-1.2.2.1/include/applets.h busybox-1.2.2.1_cttyhack/include/applets.h
--- busybox-1.2.2.1/include/applets.h	2008-07-03 15:54:27.940032135 +0200
+++ busybox-1.2.2.1_cttyhack/include/applets.h	2008-07-03 15:53:37.957628882 +0200
@@ -79,6 +78,7 @@ USE_CP(APPLET(cp, _BB_DIR_BIN, _BB_SUID_
 USE_CPIO(APPLET(cpio, _BB_DIR_BIN, _BB_SUID_NEVER))
 USE_CROND(APPLET(crond, _BB_DIR_USR_SBIN, _BB_SUID_NEVER))
 USE_CRONTAB(APPLET(crontab, _BB_DIR_USR_BIN, _BB_SUID_ALWAYS))
+USE_CTTYHACK(APPLET_NOUSAGE(cttyhack, cttyhack, _BB_DIR_BIN, _BB_SUID_NEVER))
 USE_CUT(APPLET(cut, _BB_DIR_USR_BIN, _BB_SUID_NEVER))
 USE_DATE(APPLET(date, _BB_DIR_BIN, _BB_SUID_NEVER))
 USE_DC(APPLET(dc, _BB_DIR_USR_BIN, _BB_SUID_NEVER))