diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index f23c7e5..481b34f 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 #include "sh.h"
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/exec.c,v 1.157 2015/07/09 19:59:14 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/exec.c,v 1.158 2015/07/09 20:20:42 tg Exp $");
 
 #ifndef MKSH_DEFAULT_EXECSHELL
 #define MKSH_DEFAULT_EXECSHELL	"/bin/sh"
@@ -551,7 +551,11 @@ comexec(struct op *t, struct tbl * volatile tp, const char **ap,
 			}
 			if ((tp = findcom(cp, FC_BI)) == NULL)
 				errorf("%s: %s: %s", Tbuiltin, cp, "not a builtin");
-			if (tp->type == CSHELL && tp->val.f == c_cat)
+			if (tp->type == CSHELL && (tp->val.f == c_cat
+#ifdef MKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
+			    || tp->val.f == c_printf
+#endif
+			    ))
 				break;
 			continue;
 		} else if (tp->val.f == c_exec) {
@@ -622,6 +626,16 @@ comexec(struct op *t, struct tbl * volatile tp, const char **ap,
 					tp = ext_cat;
 			}
 			break;
+#ifdef MKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
+		} else if (tp->val.f == c_printf) {
+			struct tbl *ext_printf;
+
+			ext_printf = findcom(Tprintf, FC_PATH | FC_FUNC);
+			if (ext_printf && (ext_printf->type != CTALIAS ||
+			    (ext_printf->flag & ISSET)))
+				tp = ext_printf;
+			break;
+#endif
 		} else if (tp->val.f == c_trap) {
 			t->u.evalflags &= ~DOTCOMEXEC;
 			break;
@@ -731,6 +745,13 @@ comexec(struct op *t, struct tbl * volatile tp, const char **ap,
 					tp = findcom(Tcat, FC_BI);
 					goto do_call_builtin;
 				}
+#ifdef MKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
+				if (!strcmp(cp, Tprintf)) {
+ no_printf_in_FPATH:
+					tp = findcom(Tprintf, FC_BI);
+					goto do_call_builtin;
+				}
+#endif
 				warningf(true, "%s: %s %s %s: %s", cp,
 				    "can't open", "function definition file",
 				    tp->u.fpath, cstrerror(errno));
@@ -741,6 +762,10 @@ comexec(struct op *t, struct tbl * volatile tp, const char **ap,
 			    !(ftp->flag & ISSET)) {
 				if (!strcmp(cp, Tcat))
 					goto no_cat_in_FPATH;
+#ifdef MKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
+				if (!strcmp(cp, Tprintf))
+					goto no_printf_in_FPATH;
+#endif
 				warningf(true, "%s: %s %s", cp,
 				    "function not defined by", tp->u.fpath);
 				rv = 127;
diff --git a/funcs.c b/funcs.c
index 1a9f6ed..223ab8a 100644
--- a/funcs.c
+++ b/funcs.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/funcs.c,v 1.278 2015/07/09 19:46:41 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/funcs.c,v 1.279 2015/07/09 20:20:42 tg Exp $");
 
 #if HAVE_KILLPG
 /*
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ const struct builtin mkshbuiltins[] = {
 	{"mknod", c_mknod},
 #endif
 #ifdef MKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
-	{"printf", c_printf},
+	{Tprintf, c_printf},
 #endif
 #if HAVE_SELECT
 	{"sleep", c_sleep},
diff --git a/mksh.1 b/mksh.1
index 996fc89..6282f75 100644
--- a/mksh.1
+++ b/mksh.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.\" $MirOS: src/bin/mksh/mksh.1,v 1.374 2015/07/09 19:50:44 tg Exp $
+.\" $MirOS: src/bin/mksh/mksh.1,v 1.375 2015/07/09 20:20:43 tg Exp $
 .\" $OpenBSD: ksh.1,v 1.160 2015/07/04 13:27:04 feinerer Exp $
 .\"-
 .\" Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
@@ -3756,6 +3756,7 @@ utility, except it uses the same
 .Sx Backslash expansion
 and I/O code and does not handle floating point as the rest of
 .Nm mksh .
+An external utility is preferred over the builtin.
 This is not normally part of
 .Nm mksh ;
 however, distributors may have added this as builtin as a speed hack.
diff --git a/sh.h b/sh.h
index f2f2d09..1e5c386 100644
--- a/sh.h
+++ b/sh.h
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef EXTERN
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.736 2015/07/09 19:46:43 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.737 2015/07/09 20:20:45 tg Exp $");
 #endif
 #define MKSH_VERSION "R51 2015/07/06"
 
@@ -833,6 +833,9 @@ EXTERN const char Tcat[] E_INIT("cat");
 #ifdef __OS2__
 EXTERN const char Textproc[] E_INIT("extproc");
 #endif
+#ifdef MKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
+EXTERN const char Tprintf[] E_INIT("printf");
+#endif
 EXTERN const char Tsgset[] E_INIT("*=set");
 #define Tset		(Tsgset + 2)		/* "set" */
 EXTERN const char Tsgexport[] E_INIT("*=export");